Let's Play House
by Dayoh
Summary: Ranger and Stephanie are expecting...a 12-year-old girl, that is. Julie is coming back to Trenton, under different circumstances this time around. And Ranger and Stephanie get to experience parenthood, up close and personal.    *Author's Note* Continuatio
1. Chapter 1

**Let's Play House**

**Chapter One**

The last weekend in March ushered in the warmest weather Trenton had seen in months. After a brutally cold winter, with record breaking freezing temperatures and snow, the city was finally unthawing and settling into a warm spring season.

Stephanie carried an arm load of freshly laundered bed linens into the guest bedroom of the house she and Ranger now shared. Tucked in the center of Hunterdon County within a borough called Flemington, the two- story house, with three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, was the real Bat Cave, as well as Stephanie and Ranger's quiet retreat away from the city.

Stephanie had spent her first romantic weekend with Ranger in this house, and she loved every nook and cranny within its intimate walls. After moving into Ranger's life permanently, he'd given her permission to change the décor as she liked, stressing the importance of having a home that represented both of them, not just a bachelor. But so far, Stephanie had left the décor alone, deciding to add her personal touch once they were married. As it turned out, most of their time was spent at Ranger's seventh floor penthouse, a convenient space to unwind at the end of a long work day.

Stephanie stripped the standard bedding off the full size mattress, replacing the material with sheets bearing the image of Justine Bieber, his toothy grin plastered on every piece of linen, including the comforter. Stephanie had purchased the bed-in-a-bag from a celebrity fan site on the Internet, because Ranger's daughter, Julie, was crazy about the teen sensation, just like every other adolescent girl living on the planet. And Stephanie and Ranger wanted Julie to have a room she could call her own during her stay.

A few months prior, Stephanie had convinced Ranger to let Julie visit Trenton for a couple of weeks during the summer, hoping the two would get to know one another better. Ranger had agreed that an extended stay might be a valuable first step in building a relationship with his daughter, especially now that his lifestyle was slowly morphing into a more stable existence. But after discussing the issue with Julie's parents, Rachel and Ron, Ranger was informed that the couple had already made summer plans for their daughter.

In support of Ranger's willingness to reach out to his daughter, Rachel had suggested that Julie visit during the week of spring break. Unfortunately, Julie's last experience in Trenton had been at the hands of a kidnapping lunatic, so Rachel was justifiably leery about being away from her daughter for two weeks. Julie's parents had never blamed Ranger for the incident, and they knew he'd done everything in his power to keep Julie safe. But Rachel, always the over protective mother, was more concerned about Julie's emotional state of mind. From her viewpoint, one week would be a good start for Julie and Ranger. Just enough time to get their feet wet, so to speak.

Understanding that baby steps had to be taken, Ranger agreed to fly Julie to Trenton while she was on spring break. And for what it was worth, Julie was excited with the idea of spending time with her biological father. Ranger, on the other hand, wasn't sure what to expect. Even though he was more than willing to open up his home to his daughter, the reality of her visit made him nervous. For the first time in his adult life, Ranger would be a full-time father, albeit for only one week.

Stephanie guessed under the circumstances, one week probably seemed like a year in Ranger's mind. And in all honesty, she could relate to Ranger's anxiety. Shifting into daddy and mommy mode was a scary scenario for both of them. And they were not people who were easily scared. But a healthy relationship with Julie was imperative for both of them.

After smoothing the new sheets over the mattress, Stephanie fluffed the pillows and pulled a Justin Bieber poster from its plastic casing. As she tacked the poster on the wall, Stephanie felt butterflies in her stomach, a mixture of excitement and nerves. She'd never seen Ranger interact with his daughter, and she was curious about his approach to fatherhood. The whole idea had been hers, after all, so if the visit didn't go well, Stephanie would definitely feel responsible. Pushing the last tack into the wall, Stephanie heard Ranger's footsteps ascend the stairs.

"I'm in the guest room," she called to Ranger, picking up the empty plastic casing off the floor.

Walking into the newly decorated bedroom, Ranger's eyes scanned the space. The corners of his lips turned up a fraction of an inch as he took in Justine Bieber's image filling the room.

"Didn't know you were such a huge fan, babe," Ranger said, walking over to Stephanie and pulling her into his chest.

"Very funny," Stephanie returned, giving her fiancé a hello kiss. "Do you think she'll like it?"

"I hope so," Ranger admitted, staring at the poster. "I don't get it. What do girls see in that kid?"

Stephanie hooked her arm around Ranger's neck, and he held her close, his hands encasing her waist. "He's cute."

"He should shoot his barber."

"I wouldn't say that to Julie. She loves his hair."

"How much did I give to the Justine Bieber fan club?" Ranger asked Stephanie, pushing her toward the bed.

"Does it matter?"

Ranger thought about it for a beat, then shook his head. "No. If Julie likes him, it doesn't matter."

The backs of Stephanie's knees were pressed against the edge of the bed and Ranger kissed her lips, gently pushing his tongue into her mouth.

Stephanie's body quickly responded to the kiss, her center pulsing as she slid her hands underneath Ranger's black t-shirt, caressing the smooth skin on his back. As the kiss deepened, Stephanie reluctantly pulled her lips away from Ranger's mouth, looking down at the bed.

"Are we going to do this in here?"

Ranger's eyes swept over the room, Justine Bieber smiling at him from every angle.

"No. Not with that goofy kid smiling at us."

"Good call," Stephanie said, heading for the door. "Are you changing out of your work clothes before we go to the airport?"

"Yes. I'm afraid people will think we're terrorists if we show up at the airport in Rangeman gear."

Ranger followed Stephanie out of the bedroom. He was wearing his usual Rangeman uniform, as was Stephanie, now that she was a part-time Rangeman employee again. To date, Stephanie's position as a research coordinator at Rangeman had gone smoothly, and Ranger had let her do her job with minimal harassment. The afternoon quickies that they'd hoped for had actually been few and far between. Most days, Ranger was too busy out in the field to make time for a sex break in the middle of a work day.

The crazy days of being a bounty hunter was now a past life for Stephanie. Her school courses were complete, and she had extra time to study for a private investigator license. According to the state laws of New Jersey, Stephanie would have to be a licensed private investigator to run her own PI firm.

"We have time for a quick shower," Stephanie said to Ranger as they entered the master suite.

"Babe, is that an invitation to finish what I started?"

"Yes it is. And you better enjoy it now. Intimacy will be scarce for the next few days"

Raising his eyebrows in question, Ranger said, "Why?"

"We're not going at it every night with your daughter across the hall."

Ranger stared at Stephanie, as if the thought had never entered his mind. "Babe, don't be ridiculous. Do you think Julie's parents go without sex, just because there're three kids in the house?"

Stephanie narrowed her eyes into slits, placing her hands on her hips. "I'm not being ridiculous, Ranger. Julie's parents are happily married. Technically, we are shacking up until October, and Julie is old enough to know the difference. Besides, it would be too weird to think that she might be listening in during our intimate moments."

Pulling off his t-shirt, Ranger looked at Stephanie pointedly. "Well, you'll just have to be quiet during those intimate moments."

End of the discussion as far as Ranger was concerned. The mere thought of going five nights without sex was out of the question.

Stephanie pulled in a deep, frustrated breath, blowing it out slowly. She and Ranger didn't usually argue, but she was standing her ground on this one.

"Fine," she said to Ranger. "I'll sleep at the apartment while Julie's here, since you can't control yourself for five days."

An awkward silence filled the air. Ranger stared at Stephanie incredulously, studying her closely. He was trying to decide if she was serious or just testing him to see if he'd back down. What he couldn't figure out, was why she'd taken such an unwavering stand on the issue.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Ranger said, "Why are you being so dramatic, babe? What's this really about?" His tone was soft, his voice full of curiosity.

The shift in Ranger's demeanor broke down the defensive barrier that Stephanie had quickly shrouded herself in. Pulling her hands off her hips, she blew out a sigh. True enough, the drama was probably unwarranted, a show to hide the real issue at hand.

"I'm scared," Stephanie admitted. "In a few months, I'm going to be Julie's step-mother. And I don't want her to view me in a negative light."

In past discussions regarding Julie's mother, Ranger had admitted that Rachel was a good Catholic girl and a dedicated housewife with a squeaky clean past. In stark contrast, Stephanie hadn't been to a Catholic church, or any church for that matter, since she was a child. She hadn't quite mastered the housewife role, and she was just figuring out what she wanted to do with her life. She didn't know how to compete with the perfect stay-at-home mother of three.

Ranger moved in close to Stephanie, pushing a stray curl off her forehead. "I get it, babe.

We are nothing like Rachel and Ron. But we're not exactly running our own freak show. I can assure you that Julie won't miss out on the comforts of home while she's here."

Kissing Stephanie's neck, just below the ear, Ranger said. "I need you here with me. I don't want to do this by myself. And for the record, I think you'll be a perfect step-mother to Julie."

Stephanie wrapped her arms around Ranger's waist and laid her head on his shoulder, exhaling a sigh of relief. "Thanks for the compliment. I hope Julie feels the same way."

"I've always held you in high regard around Julie's parents," Ranger supplied. "And Julie is crazy about you. In fact, I think she's more excited to see you than she is to see me."

Julie's run in with a lunatic a couple of years ago had brought Stephanie to her rescue, along with Ranger and every law enforcement agency in the state of New Jersey. And while the kidnapping had a negative impact on Julie, the young girl had come out of the incident with the utmost respect for Stephanie. She had also fearlessly protected Ranger against the crazed stalker, proving that she had a great deal of reverence for the man she merely knew as her biological father.

Stephanie lifted her head and looked at Ranger. "That's not true. Julie showed her affection for you when she shot Scrog. That little girl saved your life, and she was brave as hell."

Stephanie's mind traveled back to that awful day, remembering the moment when Julie grabbed Scrog's gun and shot him point blank. "You know, you and Julie share some of the same character traits."

"Yeah, I know. I hope our personalities don't clash," Ranger said quietly.

Stephanie smiled at Ranger. "That might be fun to watch."

"Speaking of fun," Ranger said, pulling Stephanie's stretchy black t-shirt over her head. "We have a shower to get to."

Ranger threw the shirt on the floor and filled his hands with Stephanie's breasts, running his thumbs over her nipples as they peeked through her black lace bra, straining against the material. Stephanie moaned lightly and touched her lips to Ranger's bare chest. Pulling a nipple into her mouth, she ran her tongue lightly across the hard nub, and then kissed a light trail along the skin of his neck.

"You'll never make it five days, babe," Ranger said, his eyes growing dark with need.

Stephanie pulled away, her lips twisted into a sly smile. Swinging her ass toward the bathroom, she looked over her shoulder at Ranger. "We have an hour and a half before we start playing house. Let's get to it."


	2. Chapter 2

**Let's Play House**

**Chapter Two**

On a mild Monday evening, the Newark Airport was bustling with spring break travelers. Waiting for Julie at baggage claim, Ranger and Stephanie scanned the crowd as passengers gathered around various carousels, waiting for their luggage to appear on the rotating beltways.

Ranger was the first to spot his daughter as she rolled a purple overnight bag behind her. It had been a couple of years since Stephanie had seen the young girl, so she was a little slow in the recognition department. Julie's eyes searched the crowd for a familiar face, and Ranger raised his hand above his head to signal his location. Identifying her father, Julie smiled wide, giving Ranger a wave of her hand as she made her way through throngs of people to greet him. An airline representative was hot on Julie's heels, ensuring a safe transfer to her final destination.

"Hi, Ranger," Julie said, head phones dangling around her neck. Rushing into her father, she wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him an affectionate hug.

"What's up, Julie," Ranger said softly, sheltering his daughter in his arms, kissing the top of her head. The female airline attendant stood next to Julie and smiled good-naturedly. She was a petite woman with blond hair and sharp features, and she was wearing a standard airline uniform.

Glancing in Stephanie's direction, the attendant said, "I think she's relieved to be off the plane. It was packed to full capacity tonight."

"The spring break travel season is in full effect," Stephanie said, smiling at the woman.

Julie had grown about 3 inches since Stephanie had last seen her. The pretty young girl was wearing white jeans, a white t-shirt with a bedazzled rose on the front, a cream colored jean jacket, and Nike running shoes. Julie's long, dark brown hair was pulled into a ponytail, and small diamond studs decorated each ear. Stephanie immediately recognized the studs, as she'd picked them out on behalf of Ranger for Julie's 12th birthday.

When she'd finally pulled out of Ranger's arms, Julie turned her attention to Stephanie, opening her arms and offering a warm hug. "Hey, Stephanie."

"It's good to see you again," Stephanie said, embracing Julie's slim frame. "It's been too long."

"Thanks for inviting me."

"No problem," Stephanie said. "How was the flight?"

Julie's eyes rolled to the top of her head and she glanced at the airline escort. "It sucked. Too crowed and too loud. I listened to music the whole time."

Ranger smiled at his daughter's frankness and glanced at the micro MP3 player clipped to her jeans. He guessed the player was full of Justine Bieber songs.

"Well, folks, I have to get back to work," the airline attendant said. She turned to Julie and winked. "Gotta get back to the plane that sucks."

Julie smiled sheepishly and waved goodbye to her escort.

Ranger shook the woman's hand. "Thank you for keeping an eye on Julie."

"She's a great kid," the attendant said brightly. "Very polite and mature for her age."

Passing a glance between Stephanie and Ranger, she continued, "You two have a beautiful daughter."

Julie locked eyes with Ranger, but didn't correct the woman's assumption. Ranger remained quiet as well. Stephanie gave the attendant a finger wave as she disappeared into the crowd. There was no need to explain a complex situation to a total stranger, albeit a very nice stranger.

By eight p.m., Ranger had the SUV packed with Julie's luggage and they were back on the highway to make the 39 mile trek to Hunterdon County.

Sailing down the Jersey Turnpike, Ranger said, "Where should we stop for dinner?"

"I'm not picky," Julie said from the back seat. "I could eat just about anything right now."

Ranger glanced at Stephanie, knowing her answer before she said a word.

"I could eat a cheeseburger and fries," she said.

"Yum, that sounds good!" Julie agreed.

"I was thinking about a nice salad bar," Ranger offered with a straight face. He was outnumbered, 2 to 1.

Julie wrinkled her nose. "Gross."

"I agree," Stephanie said, adding her two cents.

"You still eat like a rabbit?" Julie asked her father.

"I eat like a health conscious individual," Ranger corrected, passing his cell phone to his daughter. "Call your parents and let them know you're safe."

Five Guys Burger & Fries was nearly empty by the time Ranger pulled the SUV into the restaurant's parking lot. A family of four was sitting at a corner table, chatting loudly and filling their faces with food. Ranger guided his family to a table facing the front door, took their orders, and strolled to the front counter to place his order and pay for the food.

Sitting across from Stephanie at the table, Julie studied her father intently as he stood at the front counter. And while Julie was watching her father, Stephanie was watching Julie, trying to gage her level of comfort. Julie was used to seeing Ranger periodically, on her own home turf. Now, the young girl was away from home, in Ranger's territory, without her parents as a buffer.

"So, how are you feeling right now?" Stephanie asked Julie.

Julie pulled her eyes away from her father and offered a bashful smile, as if she'd gotten caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"Honestly, this feels kind of strange. I can't believe I'm going to spend five whole days with Ranger."

"You'll be fine," Stephanie said soothingly. "This is kind of strange for all of us."

Julie's eyes focused in on Ranger again. "What's he really like?"

"I guess that depends on who you ask," Stephanie said honestly. "He has friends, and he also has enemies. In my humble opinion, he's a good guy. But my opinion might be a little biased."

"My mom claims he can be emotionally distant." Julie made the statement in a matter-of-fact manner, as if she'd discussed the topic a hundred times.

Stephanie didn't know how to respond to Julie's disclosure, so she shrugged her shoulders.

"But she also says he's a good guy, once you get to know him," Julie added, as to not give the impression that her mother had only bad things to say about Ranger.

"You're mother is right, Julie. Ranger is not a man who wears his emotions on his sleeve, but once you peel away a few outer layers, you'll see that he has a good heart."

Stephanie decided to leave it at that. There was no need to go into details about the 'other' side of Carlos Manoso. No more than a handful of people close to Ranger had witnessed his dark side, and his family was not included in that small circle. Julie needed information that she could use to build a relationship with her father. So in that respect, revealing Ranger's dark side would be pointless.

Julie's eyes followed Ranger as he approached the table with their drinks. Accepting Stephanie's description of her father, she offered him a diminutive smile, and he smiled back.

"The food will be out in a few minutes," he said, placing the sodas on the table and sitting in a chair next to Julie. Stephanie had deliberately left the seat empty, deciding it was best to let Julie sit next to Ranger.

"Good, I'm starving," Stephanie said, picking up her soda. Julie nodded in agreement, appearing a bit timid now that Ranger was back at the table.

Sensing Julie's awkwardness, Ranger casually draped his arm around the back of her chair. Looking directly into his daughter's eyes, he said, "So, what's this infatuation you have with Justine Beaver."

"Justin Bieber, not Justine Beaver," Julie giggled, reverting back into the body of a 12-year-old girl.

Did Ranger know how to break the ice, or what?

"Oh, my God," Julie said, eyes looking toward the sky, as if Justine were staring down at her. "He's so gorgeous! I've been in love with Justine, since, like, forever!"

"That long?" Ranger asked, lips twitching.

Stephanie sipped her soda and laughed quietly at the change in Julie's demeanor. Just a minute ago, she was fully engaged in an adult conversation, and now the child was practically giddy with the love bug.

"What's up with his hair," Ranger asked Julie, his voice laced with amusement.

"Do you know how much a hair cut like that costs?" Julie asked, as if Ranger was totally clueless.

Without waiting for an answer, Julie said, "500 bucks!"

"Get out!" Stephanie said, feigning disbelief.

"I know. How crazy is that?" Julie supplied, looking at Stephanie.

Ranger shot Stephanie a look that said, 'I'd be happy to take out his barber.' But he didn't say it out loud.

The food finally arrived and they all feasted on cheeseburgers, milkshakes, and French fries, while Julie continued to chat continuously about her Justin Bieber experience, recalling the day she saw him in concert, sitting in front row seats that her parents had purchased for her birthday.

"Oh, my God, he was singing my favorite song, you know the one."

Stephanie nodded her head, although she had no idea what song Julie was talking about.

"And then he looked right into my eyes! It was so romantic. I almost fainted!"

Suppressing a bark of laughter, Ranger tried not to choke on his hamburger. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and looked at Julie. "What do you know about romance?"

Julie's eyes rolled to the top of her head. Ranger was so out of the loop on pop culture.

"Are you kidding me? Justine Bieber is like, the most romantic guy alive. Everybody knows that."

"Silly me," Ranger said, polishing off his hamburger.

Slurping down a peanut butter milkshake, Stephanie was silently watching the interaction between Ranger and Julie through amused eyes. He'd hit pay dirt when he'd brought up Julie's favorite subject. So far, the two were hitting it off just fine.

During the course of the meal, Julie offered every detail of her concert experience with Justine Bieber, describing what he wore, his choreography, and the songs he performed. The one sided conversation seemed to work out just fine, given that Ranger wasn't much of a talker.

By the time Ranger made it to Hunterdon County and pulled the car into the garage, Julie was knocked out, head slumped over the seatbelt. The long travel day had finally taken its toll, and she was beat. Passing the house key to Stephanie, Ranger opened the back of the car to unload Julie's luggage.

"Julie, we're home," Stephanie said, lightly shaking the girl's shoulder.

Julie's eyes popped open and she looked around fuzzily, trying to get her bearings. "Did I fall asleep?" she asked, unfastening the seatbelt and climbing out of the car.

Stephanie used her thumb to wipe the drool off Julie's mouth. "Yep."

Throwing an arm around her shoulder, Stephanie ushered the sleepy child into the house, flipping on the lights in the foyer and kitchen before disarming the security system.

"Nice," Julie said in a sleepy voice, tired eyes scanning the kitchen.

"Would you like a quick tour before you turn in for the night?"

"Sure." Julie's curiosity seemed to trump the need for sleep.

By the time the guided tour had reached the master suite, Ranger had unloaded Julie's luggage into her bedroom. Ambling into the master suite, he noticed his daughter staring at her baby picture hanging on the wall.

Turning to Ranger, she asked, "Do you have any pictures of you as a baby?"

"Yes, but they are packed in a box in the den. I'll pull them out tomorrow."

Glancing at the state-of-the-art computer in the sitting room, Julie's eyes lit up. Am I allowed to use the computer?"

"There's a laptop in your room," Ranger said.

A surprised look crossed the girl's face. "I have my own room here?"

"Of course you have your own room," Stephanie said. "Where did you think we were going to put you?"

"I though I'd be, like, on the couch or something."

Ranger grabbed his daughter by her hand and pulled her toward the door. Looking over his shoulder, he glanced at Stephanie, hoping she'd follow. Stephanie waved at Ranger and stayed put. She was determined to give Ranger as much personal time with his daughter as possible.

A small lamp resting on the night stand cast a dim glow inside Julie's room. Ranger flipped on the ceiling light to give Julie the full effect of Justine Bieber fever. Julie gasped in delight, as if she didn't have all kinds of Bieber paraphernalia in her room in Miami.

"Cool!" Julie said behind a wide smile. I wasn't expecting this."

"I hope you enjoy it," Ranger said, smiling down at his daughter.

Julie seemed truly surprised with her room. She wrapped her arms around Ranger's waist, and said, "Thank you."

"I can't take the credit. Stephanie did all the leg work."

"Stephanie's a cool lady," Julie said, glancing around the room. "Did you buy this house for Stephanie?"

"No. I've owned this house for a while. But it's our home now."

"I thought you lived at Rangeman."

"Part-time."

"Can I get a tour of Rangeman?"

"I don't see a problem with that."

"Cool," Julie said, glancing around the room again. "No television?"

"Your mother told me that you're not allowed to watch a lot of television."

"Not during the school year, but I do when I'm on spring and summer break. My parents are strict about what we watch. My brother and sister can only watch the Nickelodeon and Disney Channels. I'm allowed a few more options because I'm the oldest."

Ranger took a mental note, glancing at his watch. "You can watch the television in the den for a while, if you like. I don't want to undermine your parents' rules, so I'm going to be just as strict as they are about your viewing habits."

Julie nodded her head in understanding. "I'll probably just send a couple of emails tonight," she said, glancing at the laptop on the dresser. "I'm too tired to watch television."

"I'm letting you know now; this is a Rangeman computer, so I've set certain blocks and parental controls."

"That's so lame," Julie said, rolling her eyes. "My parents do the same thing."

Hinting at a smile, Ranger said, "Yeah, well, it might be lame, but it keeps you out of trouble."

Looking down at two suitcases and an overnight bag on the floor, Ranger asked, "Do you need help unpacking?"

"I'm cool."

"The bathroom across the hall is all yours," Ranger said to his daughter. "Do you need anything before I go?"

"I'm cool. Thanks for dinner."

"You don't have to thank me for feeding you," Ranger supplied in a soft voice. "This is your home while you're here. Make yourself comfortable."

Julie nodded her head and stared up at her father. She didn't say goodnight, nor did she move from her spot. She just kept looking at him, as if she wanted to say more, but wasn't sure how to say it.

"Okay, then," Ranger said, not sure of what else to do or say.

"Do you and Stephanie share the same room?"

Looking toward the door, as if he could summons Stephanie to Julie's room with his mind, Ranger said, "Stephanie and I share just about everything. She's going to be my wife."

"Do you both go to bed at the same time?"

Ranger was silent for a beat, wondering what Julie was getting at.

"Depends on what's going on."

"Okay," Julie said, still staring at her father. "Will it be okay if I leave the bathroom light on tonight?"

And just like that, a light bulb switched on in Ranger's head. It had taken him a minute, but he finally got it. Julie was away from home, away from familiar surroundings. She would need at least a couple of nights to get used to the new environment. She had asked about Stephanie because she needed someone to keep her company for a while. And Ranger didn't have a maternal bone in his body.

"Yes, you can leave the light on in the bathroom. I'll go and get Stephanie to help you unpack, okay?"

"That would be nice," Julie said, sounding relieved.

Stephanie was fully clothed, lying on top of the bed, flipping through a magazine when Ranger walked back into their bedroom.

"She okay?"

"I think she needs a woman's touch right now," Ranger admitted. "She's tired, but not ready to get comfortable by herself."

"Come on, daddy," Stephanie teased in a little girl's voice. "Go tuck Julie in and read her a bedtime story."

Ranger stared at Stephanie with raised eyebrows. "Wouldn't that be kind of awkward, babe? Julie's too old for bedtime stories."

"You have to have the right kind of reading material," Stephanie said, crawling off the bed and pulling a teen magazine from her shoulder bag. There were a lot of things she could see Ranger doing, but reading a teen magazine with Julie wasn't one of them.

Looking over her shoulder at Ranger, Stephanie offered a coy smile and said, "Don't wait up."


	3. Chapter 3

**Let's Play House**

**Chapter Three**

Bacon sizzled in a frying pan as Stephanie made her way around the kitchen, wearing sweats and a tank top, preparing breakfast. Wearing a white robe over pajamas, Julie was keeping Stephanie company at the kitchen table, holding down a conversation about the New Kids on the Block and the Back Street Boys reunion tour.

Ranger ambled into the kitchen just as Stephanie was pulling eggs from the refrigerator. Dressed in black running pants and a grey t-shirt, sans shoes, he raised an eyebrow at Julie, coming in at the tail end of the boy band conversation.

"What do you know about New Kids on the Block?" he asked his daughter. "They were way before your time."

"They're cool. My mom used to love those guys. She has all of their music from the olden days."

Stephanie chuckled at Julie. "The olden days, huh? I feel like an antique figure around you."

Ranger smiled at his daughter, and then turned his attention to Stephanie as she cracked eggs into a bowl. A mixture of curiosity and amusement covered his face. Stephanie never prepared breakfast, as Ella usually took care of the breakfast duties for all the Rangeman employees, including Ranger. As it was, breakfast still appeared at the front door of their Rangeman apartment every morning around the same time. Dinner, on the other hand, was mainly Stephanie's job now. To date, she'd mastered a handful of recipes that were quick and easy, and she made every effort to have dinner prepared at least two to three times per week. On the days she didn't have time to fix dinner, Ella stepped in, serving up Ranger's favorite stews and casseroles.

"Babe," Ranger said, his lips twitching.

Ignoring the silent statement, Stephanie glided over to Ranger, bowl of eggs in hand, and gave him a good morning kiss. Resting her elbows on the table, hands cupping her face, Julie watched the interaction with humor. She'd already figured out the scenario was just an act. All Stephanie needed was an apron and a string of pearls, and she'd be a modern day June Cleaver.

Ranger's lips twitched for a second time, and Stephanie narrowed her eyes, daring him to laugh.

"This is not your regular morning routine, is it?" Julie asked behind a giggle.

Ranger cut his eyes to Stephanie. "No. This is not our regular morning routine."

Stephanie blew out a sigh and gave Julie a sheepish look. "I don't usually prepare breakfast at all. But I want you to feel like you're at home."

"So, if I wasn't here, what would you two be doing now?"

Curling his lips into a mischievous smile, Ranger told his daughter, "You are too young for that conversation."

"Actually," Stephanie said quickly, trying to clean up the comment. "We'd be heading out to work."

A coy smile creased Julie's face. Ranger has answered the question without actually giving her a direct answer.

"My mom doesn't cook breakfast every day," she said, returning the subject to a safe zone. "We all eat cereal and toast, or I'll eat breakfast at school if I get up early enough."

"Good to know," Stephanie said, hoping she didn't sound too relieved. "I'm not the best cook in town. Thanks for letting me off the hook."

Julie focused on her father, watching him disappear into the den. After a few minutes, he returned to the kitchen with a photo album under his arm. Sitting at the table, Ranger slid the album in Julie's direction.

"This album is full of pictures of the Manoso family."

"Cool," Julie said, flipping open the album, eyes scanning the photos. She touched a finger to a baby photo, and then looked at Ranger. "This baby has to be you. I really do look a lot like you."

The photo showed a baby with chubby cheeks, head full of dark hair, wearing a white christening outfit. Ranger's mother, Armena, wearing a white dress with pearls, was holding the baby in her arms, smiling down at him. Ernesto, Ranger's father, was dressed in a dark three piece suit, standing by his wife's side, beaming with pride.

"Yes, that's me," Ranger said, studying the picture. "This was my christening day."

Pointing to a picture of his sister, Celia, Ranger said, "You actually favor your Aunt Celia, too. In this picture, she was the same age you are now."

"We have the same nose," Julie pointed out, peering at the picture. She seemed excited to see the resemblance. "Will I get to meet my aunts and uncle while I'm here?"

"You'll get to meet your Aunt Celia and Uncle Lupe. We're having dinner at my parent's house Thursday night."

"I thought there were six of you."

"It's hard to get all the siblings in one place," Ranger admitted. "You have three aunts who live out of state. Hopefully they'll all be able to make it to the reception in October."

"What do all your siblings do for a living?"

"Adriana works and lives in New York City. Lucia is an airline attendant who travels internationally, and Cora is in the military, stationed overseas. My only brother, Lupe, manages my father's construction company, and my oldest sister, Celia is a housewife in Newark."

Julie appeared to be impressed. "You have a big family."

"Yes, I do." Ranger said, nodding his head.

"My mom claims I've met my grandparents, but I don't remember them."

"They've visited you a couple of times in Miami. Once when you were a baby, and then again before you went into Kindergarten. They're very excited that you're here."

"Where do they live?"

"Newark."

Spooning eggs, bacon, and toast onto plates, Stephanie kept quiet, allowing father and daughter to converse. Full of questions about her father's side of the family, Julie flipped through the photo album, eyes studying every picture, as if she were studying a world map.

Stephanie set the plates down on the kitchen table. "Time to eat."

Julie looked up at Stephanie, as if she'd forgotten she was in the room. The child appeared to be fixated on her Cuban ancestry.

"Do you mind if I look through the album while we eat?" Julie asked Stephanie.

"Not a problem," Stephanie said, sitting down at the table, pouring everyone a glass of orange juice.

For the next half hour, Ranger identified family members in the photo album, explaining family relations to Julie as they ate breakfast. Stephanie had already seen the album, but she enjoyed looking at the pictures again, while listening to Ranger boast about his family. There was a robust history within his family tree, filled with dramatic stories of first generation ancestors migrating from Cuba to America.

Seeking a better life in America, many of Ranger's relatives had escaped the Cuban Revolution, lead by a Communist dictator by the name of Fidel Castro. The courage they'd displayed had obviously been passed down from one generation to the next. And Ranger seemed very proud of the sacrifices his ancestors had made in order to create better opportunities for the second generation in the making. Ranger and his immediate family members were direct beneficiaries of those sacrifices. By the time Julie closed the album, it was evident that she had a great deal of respect for the lineage she shared with her father.

Polishing off her breakfast, Julie looked at Stephanie. "You're not a bad cook, Stephanie."

"Would you like more?" Stephanie asked, eating a third piece of bacon.

"I'm good for now, thanks. What's on the agenda today?"

Ranger pushed back from the table and stood to his feet. "I have a couple of hours of work to do, so Stephanie's going to take you to the movies."

"I'm going to bring my nieces along, Mary Alice and Angie," Stephanie added. "You are all around the same age."

"What are we going to see?"

"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Somebody Rules, but I can't remember who," Stephanie said.

"Roderick Rules! Julie said, all excited. I was hoping to see that movie while on break."

Turning her attention to Ranger, Julie asked, "Will you have to work all week?"

"No. Technically I'm supposed to be on vacation this week. We'll go to New York City tomorrow. You said wanted to see the Statue of Liberty."

"Yes. I can't wait to see the Statue of Liberty. Can you also take me to see the Princeton University campus before I leave?"

"I can work that out."

"You still have plans to attend Princeton?" Stephanie asked Julie.

"Yep." Looking at Ranger, she said, "I heard you and my dad have an agreement about my college tuition."

"Yes. The agreement is that we are planning to sell everything we own."

"Actually, you won't have to do that. I'm going to help you out." Julie was serious about her revelation.

"How are you planning to do that?" Ranger asked, finishing his orange juice.

"My grades are really good. So, by the time I graduate high from high school, I should be eligible for scholarships. And I can also join a work study program on campus."

Ranger crossed his arms over his chest and rubbed his chin, impressed with Julie's plan. "Sounds like a good plan, kiddo. Your dad and I will only have to sell half of our belongings."

"See how it all works out?" Julie said proudly, as if she held the key to world peace.

Standing and stacking the breakfast dishes, Stephanie smiled at Julie's innocent naivety. She said, "You have five years before you have to start worrying about college expenses. Enjoy your childhood while you can."

"I guess you're right," Julie agreed, standing to her feet. Moving toward the stairs, she said, "I'm going to shower and get dressed for the movie."

"Julie, help Stephanie clear the table and load the dishwasher before you go," Ranger said, stopping Julie short.

Julie threw an indiscernible look Ranger's way, hesitated for a beat, and then looked at Stephanie for confirmation. Julie wasn't used to taking orders from Ranger.

"Not necessary," Stephanie interjected, shaking her head. "I'll take care of it."

Stephanie realized her mistake as soon as the words tumbled from her mouth. She'd just undermined Ranger's authority in front of his daughter. Not a good move.

Ranger quickly cut his eyes to Stephanie before locking his gaze back on Julie. "You do understand that I wasn't giving you an option, right?"

Defiantly fixing her gaze on Ranger, Julie remained silent.

Ranger crossed his arms over his chest and said in a soft, yet warning tone, "Julie, come here."

"Come where?"

Pointing to the space in front of him, Ranger said, "Get over here. I won't say it again."

Slowly pulling her eyes away from Ranger, Julie glanced at Stephanie, silently begging for an intervention. Without another word, Stephanie pretended to look for something in the refrigerator, pointlessly moving items around on the shelves. Stephanie had seen grown men cower under Ranger's glare, and Julie, not yet wise enough to know better, was facing off with him.

Uncertain of how far to stretch Ranger's boundaries, Julie decided to take a slow walk toward her father, the defiant bravado fading with each step.

"Am I in trouble?" she asked, finally standing in front of Ranger, looking up into his face with innocent eyes. The boldness had completely vanished from her face.

"Ranger sat down in a chair and motioned for Julie to do the same. She quickly obeyed.

"I need to clarify the rules," Ranger said to Julie. "You have responsibilities at home, and you'll have responsibilities here as well. I expect you to help Stephanie clear the table and load the dishwasher after every meal. You will make your bed every morning, and keep your room in order. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir," Julie said, looking down at her hands, picking at a hangnail.

"Look at me when I speak to you, Julie," Ranger said evenly. "So I know you understand."

Julie locked eyes with Ranger and said, "Yes, sir. I understand."

Then she creased her eyebrows, holding his gaze. "Can I ask you a question?"

"You can ask me anything you like," Ranger said. "I'm just not sure you'll like the answer."

"How come _you_ don't have to help clear the table and load the dishwasher after every meal?"

Raising an eyebrow, Ranger let the question hang in the air for a moment, trying to decide on the best way to answer without backing down on his expectations. Julie was clearly testing his patients, and Ranger wasn't about to fall into the 12-year-old's trap.

"I'm responsible for providing the meals. I do my part."

Standing at the refrigerator, Stephanie shot daggers at Ranger with her eyes. Evidently, _she_ didn't like that answer. Ranger ignored the scowl and kept his focus on Julie, knowing Stephanie was going to call him on the comment later.

"I know you are not used to me telling you what to do, but as long as you're under my roof, you follow my rules."

"Yes, sir," Julie said, nodding her head in understanding. Standing to her feet, she removed the rest of the dishes off the table and helped Stephanie load the dishwasher. And then she disappeared up the stairs without another word.

As soon as Julie was out of ear shot, Ranger turned his attention to Stephanie.

"Babe…"

"I know! I'm sorry."

Ranger walked over to Stephanie, standing in front of her at the kitchen counter.

"Ron and Rachel give Julie plenty of chores to do around the house. Our rules need to stay consistent with what she's used to doing."

"You're right," Stephanie said. "I'm treating Julie like a guest instead of a family member. And I appreciate you're support."

"We have to back each other's play," Ranger added. "Or she'll play both of us."

"Got it," Stephanie said, tilting her head to the side, studying Ranger. He was next on the hot seat.

"About that comment…"

"You didn't appreciate that one," Ranger said, completing Stephanie's thought.

"You've helped to clear the table and load the dishwasher from time to time. Why did you go all chauvinist pig in front of Julie?"

Ranger sidled up close to Stephanie, gently pushing his leg between her thighs, a ploy to distract her from the issue at hand.

"Playing the role, babe. You know, King of the Castle."

Stephanie poked Ranger's chest with her finger. "Well, King of the Castle, if you say something like that again, you won't see my goodies for a year!"

Ranger pushed Stephanie against the counter and nibbled her ear, on behalf of an apology.

"Liar," he whispered, his lips going in for the kill.

"You are such a jerk!" Stephanie said, resisting a kiss from Ranger, but not putting forth much of an effort to escape his lips.

And just as Ranger slithered a hand beneath Stephanie's tank top, the sound of feet coming down the stairs stopped him short. Stephanie gave him a little shove and wiped invisible crumbs off the counter. By the time Julie made it back into the kitchen, Ranger was laughing at Stephanie's impromptu cleaning spree.

Passing a glance from Ranger to Stephanie, Julie recognized what she'd interrupted. Still in her robe, holding in her arms the clothes she'd worn last night, she said, "I can't find the hamper." She gave Ranger a timid smile as a peace offering.

Hooking an arm around Julie's shoulder, Ranger led her to a small laundry room just off the foyer. He flipped on the light switch to present a Kenmore washer and dryer set against the wall, and a hamper sitting in the corner of the room.

"I wash the whites on Wednesdays and the colors on Thursdays," he said to Julie with a straight face.

"Yeah, right!" Julie said on a giggle. "King's don't have to do laundry."

* * *

><p>The house was relatively quiet when Stephanie and Julie returned from their outing with Mary Alice and Angie, apart from the sound of the television in the den. Lounging on the couch, watching a ball game, Ranger was enjoying a rare moment of down time.<p>

"Hi, Ranger," Julie said, bouncing into the den and plopping down next to her father on the couch.

"What's up, kiddo," Ranger said, adjusting the volume on the television, giving Julie his full attention. "How was the movie?"

"Awesome."

"The girls got along very nicely," Stephanie added proudly, padding into the room, sitting on the other side of Ranger, putting him in the middle.

Ranger raised and eyebrow, apparently surprised by that news. Mary Alice and Angie were known to be a bit eccentric, though they'd both seemed to be growing out of that awkward stage. Mary Alice was 10-years-old, and no longer thought she was a horse. Angie was the same age as Julie, and she was still a miss-know-it-all, but she was also an honor roll student and a big help to Valerie around the house. Much to her relief, Stephanie was no longer embarrassed to take the girls on occasional outings. And she was trying to be a more attentive aunt.

"I suppose you ladies want to commandeer the television."

"Nope," Stephanie said. "Enjoy your game."

"We're here to spend quality time with you," Julie supplied.

Ranger gave a curious sideways glance to Stephanie, sliding the same gaze Julie's way.

"And?"

"And Stephanie thought it would be a good idea to go out for dinner tonight," Julie offered, smiling coyly. "Since she worked so hard on breakfast this morning."

"And where does Stephanie suggest we go?" Ranger asked Julie, hinting at a smile.

"Pino's," Stephanie chimed in, since it was her idea, and all.

Ranger took a minute, pretending to consider the suggestion. Then he turned to Julie. "You know, in a few years all that junk food is going to catch up to you."

"I'll be so old by then, it won't even matter."

"Really?" Ranger said, smiling at his daughter.

"Enjoy your metabolism now," Stephanie said to Julie. "It won't last long."

"So that's a yes?" Julie asked Ranger.

"Let me finish watching the game, and then we'll go to Pino's."

"Cool," Julie said, hopping up off the couch. "I'm going to get on the computer for a while."

"What about our quality time?" Ranger said to Julie. "I'm suddenly feeling a little neglected."

"Okay. We can all sit together and watch the Disney Channel, or Justine Bieber videos," Julie said to her father, calling his bluff.

Ranger turned up the volume on the game. "Have fun on the computer."

As soon as Julie left the room, Ranger turned to Stephanie. "Was I too hard on her this morning?"

Stephanie kicked off her shoes and put her feet up on the coffee table before answering Ranger's question. "I think you did the right thing. Julie understands that she was out of line this morning. I think she was testing you to see how much you'd let her get away with."

"Julie's a good kid, but she has a rebellious streak," Ranger said. "I definitely saw it in her face this morning."

Stephanie smiled and settled into Ranger's side. "Kind of like looking into a mirror, right?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Let's Play House**

**Chapter Four**

Ranger was up before sun rise on Wednesday morning, checking emails at his desk in the sitting area of the bedroom. Forcing open one eye, Stephanie focused on Ranger's form, glowing by the light of the computer screen.

"What time is it?"

"Six a.m.," Ranger answered. "Go back to sleep, I'm just going over some paperwork before we leave."

"What time do you want to head out?"

Ranger looked at the clock on his computer monitor. "As soon as you and Julie are up and dressed. We have a long day planned."

Rolling over in bed, Stephanie pulled the covers up to her neck and mumbled, "Wake me in an hour."

Two hours later, Stephanie tumbled out of bed to find the blinds open and Ranger gone. Deciding to wake up Julie, she pulled on a robe and padded across the hall. But Julie was also gone, her bed nicely made, clothes picked up off the floor. The full-bodied aroma of recently brewed coffee floated up the stairs and swept past Stephanie's nose, and she followed the scent down the stairs to the kitchen. Julie and Ranger were sitting at the table, discussing the history of the Statue of Liberty. Actually, Julie was doing most of the talking, and Ranger was being a good listener.

"Good morning, sleepyhead." Julie was all bright eyed and cheery, dressed in jeans, a pink and silver t-shirt with a baby phat logo on the front, and grey walking shoes with a pink Nike logo. Her hair was loose, hanging down her back, and she had a bowl of peanut butter Cap'n Crunch cereal resting on the kitchen table.

"Babe," Ranger said as a good morning greeting. He was eating a bowl of Grape Nuts cereal topped with a sliced banana.

Stephanie gave a finger wave to Ranger and Julie and headed straight for the coffee pot. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"We decided to let you sleep in for a while," Ranger said. He was wearing black jeans, a snug fitting black t-shirt, and black running shoes.

Glancing at the cereal boxes on the table, Stephanie said, "I see you prepared a hearty meal."

Ranger pointed to an empty bowl on the table. "Your breakfast is getting cold."

Giggling at Ranger, Julie poured a mound of Cap'n Crunch cereal into the empty bowl for Stephanie. "You and I like the same types of food."

Stephanie carried a hot mug of coffee to the table and sat down. "Cap'n Crunch is the best cereal on the market. Are you excited about New York City?"

With her mouth full of cereal, Julie nodded her head, swallowing her food before speaking. "Yes. Ranger said we have crown tickets. We get to walk all the way up to the top."

"That's great," Stephanie said, feigning excitement. And then she gave Ranger a dirty look and discreetly flipped him the bird while running her fingers through her hair. Ranger returned the grimace with a megawatt smile, knowing she wanted to kill him right about now. Years ago, Stephanie had visited the Statue of Liberty on a college trip and swore she'd never go again. Climbing 354 steps in a narrow crowed space was not her idea fun. The tour had been like a workout session. And Stephanie wasn't the working out type.

"We are going to Ellis Island, too," Julie added with excitement, missing the entire exchange between Ranger and Stephanie.

"Well, at least the weather will be mild today," Stephanie said, looking on the bright side. "It's not a pleasant experience to climb those stairs when it's hot and humid."

Polishing off her cereal, Stephanie pushed back from the table. Julie stood quickly and said, "I'll clear the table while you get dressed."

"I appreciated that," Stephanie said, looking at Ranger. The talk he'd had with Julie yesterday appeared to be working. "Give me a half hour, and I'll be ready to go."

Ranger pulled the SUV into the Liberty State Park facility parking lot in Jersey City at exactly half past nine a.m., just in time to catch the docked ferry, appropriately named, Miss Ellis Island. Ranger had purchased tickets over the Internet, but the long lines to get on the ferry and through the security check points added almost two hours to their trip. The trip would have been faster by car, as Hunterdon County was about an hour from New York City, but Julie wanted to take a ferry boat to the Big Apple. So they made it to the Statue of Liberty Monument just before noon.

The tour took a little over an hour, and by the time they'd made it up the statue, and then back down, the lunch hour had come and gone. Inside the lobby of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, Stephanie's legs were burning from the climb, and she had beads of sweat across her forehead, but Ranger and Julie seemed more energized than they'd been in the early morning hours. Obviously, the love of physical activity had traveled down the bloodline.

"I'm hungry," Julie said, eyes searching Liberty Island, looking for restaurants.

"I could eat a horse," Stephanie added, wiping sweat off her brow.

Glancing at his watch, Ranger said, "We have time to grab a quick lunch before the Ellis Island tour."

He took Stephanie and Julie by their hands and pulled them through a mob of tourists, cameras flashing, videos recording. Julie had a small digital camera hanging around her neck, and she was snapping picture's of everyone and everything she passed.

The Kiosk Café boasted a popular eating spot, overlooking the New York Harbor. There was a gentle breeze coming off the water, so they all collectively decided to sit at a picnic area outside of the café.

Stephanie ordered a barbecue pork sandwich and fries; Julie had chicken tenders and fries, and Ranger ordered a large grilled chicken salad.

Pushing a chicken tender toward her father, Julie said, "Want to taste some real food?"

Ranger curled his lips into a smile, shaking his head. "No thanks. I'm good."

"Your father is very health conscious," Stephanie said, shoving barbeque pork into her mouth.

Julie gave Ranger a once over, as if she were seeing him for the first time. And then she pushed her finger into a muscle pulsing from his bicep. "I guess you keep all these muscles by eating healthy."

Looking at his daughter through amused eyes, Ranger swallowed a mouthful of lettuce and nodded his head. "With the kind of work I do, I have to stay physically fit."

Julie dipped a chicken tender in ketchup, studying Ranger closely. "Do you still deal with bad guys every day?"

"There are times when I still have to deal with bad people. Right now, my main objective is to protect people from the bad guys, so it's hard to stay off their radar completely."

Chewing thoughtfully, Julie was quiet for a beat, and then she said softly, "I still occasionally have bad dreams about Scrog. He was such a stupid loser."

Ranger set his fork down and gave Julie his full attention. Pushing a wind blown strand of hair from her face, gently tucking it behind her ear, he said, "You won't ever have to worry about Scrog again, Julie. He'll be behind bars for a long time."

What Ranger failed to tell his daughter was if Scrog ever got an early release out of prison, he'd make sure the lunatic disappeared forever. No matter how it played out, Scrog was never going to be a threat to his family again.

"What if he gets out on parole?" Julie asked Ranger, as if she were reading his mind. "He's probably really mad at me for shooting him."

Stephanie stopped chewing her sandwich, knowing what the end result would be if Scrog ever got out of prison. She wondered how Ranger would alleviate the child's fears without showing a side of himself that he'd kept well hidden from most people.

"A prisoner has to be granted parole," Ranger explained. "I don't think parole will be an option for Scrog."

Okay, that sounded good, Stephanie thought to herself. But Julie didn't seem convinced. "Did therapy help?" she asked Julie, trying to change the direction of the conversation, just a little.

"Yeah, therapy helped a lot," Julie admitted. "I used to have nightmares every day, but now I only have them once in a while." Looking at Stephanie, Julie asked, "Did you have nightmares about Scrog?"

Stephanie remembered the first time she'd laid eyes on Julie after Scrog had kidnapped her.

The grime on the child's face and the fear in her eyes had been enough to make Stephanie feel homicidal. She wanted to kill Scrog, right then and there. But she'd also felt a great deal of relief that the man hadn't killed Julie. And then there was the memory of Scrog standing over Ranger, prepared to take his life, as Stephanie looked on, unable to save him. That scene had haunted her dreams for months on end. But after some time, waking up next to Ranger every morning had been all the therapy she'd needed.

"Yes, for a while I did," she said to Julie. "But I'd been through a few bad experiences as a bounty hunter, so by then I was used to the insanity."

Popping a fry into her mouth, Julie furrowed her eyebrows in curiosity. "How do you ever get used to that kind of stuff?"

Stephanie shrugged. "You have to grow thick skin, I guess."

Naturally, there was no logical answer Stephanie could give Julie. There were times when she'd wondered what had possessed her to take on the line of work she'd chosen. But admitting to insanity didn't seem like a good answer at this point.

"What are you two going to do when you get married," Julie asked Ranger and Stephanie with a pointed look.

"What are we going to do for a living?" Ranger tried to clarify.

"That's right. You can't be married with dangerous jobs." Julie gave Ranger a 'like duh' look, believing he should already have a plan to retire into the land of Pleasantville after the wedding.

Chewing his food thoughtfully, Ranger searched for an answer that would placate his daughter, while Stephanie stifled a laugh. The thought of a 12-year-old asking them what they were planning to do about their crazy life was hilarious. Or maybe it was just plain sad.

Once again faced with sparing Julie the sordid details of his life, Ranger said, "Sitting behind a desk all day is not very dangerous, kiddo. And that's a huge part of what we do now."

Leaning into his daughter, kissing the top of her head, Ranger continued, "Thanks for your concern, but I think Stephanie and I will be just fine as a married couple."

Satisfied with the answer, Julie chose another chicken tender and glanced at Stephanie. "Will you continue to work after you have kids?"

This got a smile out of Ranger. He always enjoyed watching Stephanie squirm her way around the question.

"Sure, why not?" Stephanie said. "A woman can work and raise kids at the same time."

"My mom had to get a part-time job last month," Julie said.

"That's okay," Stephanie supplied. "A lot of women have to work outside of the home."

"Yeah, but my mom has to work because we might lose the house if she doesn't bring home extra income."

Ranger cut his eyes to Stephanie. Obviously, this was the first he'd heard of Julie's revelation.

Not sure of what to say, Stephanie and Ranger remained quiet. They didn't want to encourage anymore confessions. Ron and Rachel would not appreciate Julie's newsflash, nor would they appreciate Ranger and Stephanie discussing their financial woes with her.

Taking the silence as a signal to continue, Julie tried to explain. "I overheard them arguing one night. They thought we were all asleep. My dad's air conditioning repair business is not doing so well. I guess he's lost some customers."

Julie seemed relieved to get the information out in the open. Perhaps she just needed someone close to her to know, just in case. But at 12-years-old, she was too young to be worried about her parent's predicament.

Following a minute or so of stunned silence, Ranger cleared his throat and gathered the empty foam containers that had held their food. "I'm sorry you had to hear that, Julie. But you shouldn't worry yourself with adult problems, okay? I'm sure things will work out."

Standing to his feet, Ranger smiled down at his daughter. "Let's get going, we don't want to miss the ferry to Ellis Island."

* * *

><p>Pulling the SUV inside the garage at eight p.m., Ranger, Stephanie, and Julie were listening to the last song on Lady Gaga's new CD. Ranger had threatened to throw the Justine Beiber CD out of the car window if he had to hear <em>Never Say Never<em> one more time. Julie, still wired from candy and fast food at Ellis Island, was singing every word to every song, entertaining her small audience.

As they all angled out of the car, Ranger's cell phone chirped. He looked at the caller id display and passed the phone to Julie. "It's your mom."

"Hi, mom. Guess what we did today?" Julie said, filling her mother in on the day trip to New York City. Walking into the house, she gave her mother a detailed account of the day, starting from the time she woke up. By the time the phone call ended, Stephanie wondered if Rachel had gotten one word in.

Passing the phone back to Ranger, Julie said, "They all miss me."

"Of course they miss you," Stephanie said. "I bet they all wish they were here with you."

"I miss them, too. But honestly, it's kind of nice being away from my brother and sister. They can be a pain sometimes."

"Siblings can be a pain in the butt at times," Ranger said. He kicked off his shoes at the door and headed toward the den. Julie mirrored her father's actions and followed close behind him.

"When I was a kid," he continued, "I had to split everything with my sisters and brother."

"Was your family poor?" Julie asked her father, sitting next to him on the couch.

"My parents were working class people. But with six mouths to feed, everything had to be shared."

"Did you have to share a room, too?"

"Yes. I shared a room with my brother until I was 14-years-old. And then I moved to Florida to live with my grandmother."

Truly invested in the story now, Julie hung on to every word Ranger was saying.

"Why did you move to Florida? Couldn't your parents afford to keep you?"

Hinting at a smile, Ranger admitted, "I got into trouble. Moving to Florida probably saved my life."

"What did you do?"

"I stole a car."

Julie went all bug-eyed. Ranger couldn't tell if the child was shocked or excited by the news.

"Why did you steal a car?"

Picking up the remote, Ranger clicked on the television, pondering the question. "Lack of confidence," he finally said to his daughter. "I was a follower, always trying to fit in. I followed a bunch of losers down the wrong path and got caught by the police."

"Were you a gang member?"

"No. I just let bad guys influence my actions."

"When did you become a good guy?"

Raising an eyebrow at Julie, Ranger said, "You think I'm a good guy?"

Julie shrugged her shoulders. "You seem like a good guy. You protect and help people. That's good."

"I think everyone has moments they're not proud of," Ranger said, offering a vague answer. "I'm no exception."

"One time, I slapped my brother across the head," Julie confessed. "That was a moment I wasn't proud of. But sometimes I just can't help myself. He makes me so angry."

"Must be in your DNA. I used to fight with my brother all the time."

"Did you fight with your sisters, too?"

Shaking his head, Ranger said, "No. My parents didn't allow me to hit my sisters."

"My brother is not allowed to hit me. That's why I felt so guilty after I hit him, because I knew he couldn't hit me back."

"Probably, you should just lock him in the closet when he gets on your nerves," Ranger said. "That's what I used to do to my sisters. And I didn't feel guilty."

"That's a good idea," Julie said, as if a light bulb had turned on in her head.

"No!" Stephanie said, padding into the den with a bowl of popcorn. "Locking your brother in the closet is not a good idea."

Staring pointedly at Ranger, Stephanie rolled her eyes. Ranger and Julie smiled at one another playfully. They were too much alike.

"I leave you two alone for a few minutes and you're plotting sibling abuse." Stephanie sat down next to Ranger on the couch and placed the popcorn on the coffee table.

"We're not plotting," Julie said. She grabbed a fist full of the popped kernels and shoved them into her mouth. "We're spending quality time together."

Half way through an all night marathon of The Waltons on the Hallmark Channel, Julie had fallen into an exhausted slumber, her head resting on her father's shoulder. John Boy had just announced that he was leaving Walton's Mountain to pursue a writing career in New York City and Stephanie and Ranger were now invested in the family's reaction to the news. So they let Julie sleep until the episode was over.

"Babe, I haven't watched the Waltons since I lived with my grandmother. She used to make me sit with her and watch the reruns."

"Not bad for a family show, right?" Stephanie asked, turning off the television.

"Not much sex and violence on Walton's Mountain," Ranger returned, pulling on Julie's ear to wake her up. "Julie, let's go to bed."

Julie lifted her head and looked at the television. "What did I miss?"

"John Boy's on his way to fortune and fame as a writer," Ranger said, pulling his daughter to her feet.

"I like when they all say goodnight to each other," Julie said, heavy-eyed and sluggish.

"Me, too," Stephanie said, as they all made their way up the stairs to turn in for the night.

After Julie was all tucked in, Stephanie joined Ranger in the master suite. He'd stripped down to his boxer briefs and was checking messages on his iphone.

"Working late?" Stephanie asked him, peeling out of her clothes.

"You have something else in mind?"

"Sleep," Stephanie said. "We know for a fact that Julie listens in on things she's not supposed to hear. Can you believe she overheard her parents arguing about money?"

"That explains why she's so worried about college expenses five years before she even graduates from high school," Ranger said, turning off his phone.

"Do you really think Rachel and Ron could lose their house?"

"In this economy, anything is possible, babe. I'd like to think they have enough family and friends to help them out, if it came down to that."

"Would you help them?" Stephanie asked Ranger.

"Yes, if they asked me to." Ranger didn't hesitate with his answer. His daughter's well-being was part his responsibility. Helping Rachel and Ron would be helping Julie.

"But in all honesty, I doubt Ron would come to me for help."

Stephanie nodded in agreement. Ron probably didn't want Ranger to know he was having a hard time financially. He was raising his daughter, after all. There was an issue of pride.

"I'll slip extra money into Julie's child support checks for the next few months," Ranger said. "Just to cover any additional expenses she might be incurring right now. I know she's taking piano lessons this summer, so I'll use that as an excuse if her parents ask me why I'm sending extra money."

"That's a nice thing to do," Stephanie agreed.

"I don't want them to know that Julie is aware of their situation," Ranger said, pulling off his underwear. "They have enough to worry about."

"What are you doing?"

A mischievous grin creased Ranger's face. "Getting ready for bed."

"What if Julie has a nightmare and runs into our room in the middle of the night?" Stephanie argued. "You can't let her see you like that!"

Opening a dresser drawer, Stephanie pulled out a pair of ugly flannel pajamas and a wrinkled tank top and threw them on. And then she grabbed a pair of sweats for Ranger and threw them in his direction.

"Babe, you sure know how to kill a mood."


	5. Chapter 5

**Let's Play House**

**Chapter Five**

Thursday morning began with an overcast sky, the moisture in the air promising rain. And by mid morning, the sky had opened up and fulfilled that promise, with April showers rolling in on the last day of March. While Ranger was catching up on a few hours of work in the home office, Stephanie did laundry, preparing breakfast and lunch between loads. And Julie passed time doing what most pre-teens do on a rainy day, stuck in the house. She surfed the Internet, chatted with friends on social network sites, listened to music, and watched television. Making sure to stay on top of her assigned duties, she also cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher after breakfast and lunch.

From the outside looking in, they appeared to be a regular family, going about their regular daily routine. To a certain extent, Stephanie was amazed at how quickly they'd all settled into a family routine. What was even more astonishing was that she and Ranger seemed to be doing okay with the routine.

Although the measure of good parenting couldn't be weighed in five days, Stephanie and Ranger seemed to be off to a good start. Of course, it didn't hurt that most of the work had been done for them. Julie was a good kid being raised in a good home by hard working parents. And in hindsight, Stephanie felt a little embarrassed that she'd been so worried about what Julie would think of her household, especially since the child was so preoccupied with her own household. Lesson of the day: There was no such thing as a perfect family.

By the time four p.m. rolled around, Julie was antsy and ready to get out of the house. The first one dressed, she bugged Ranger and Stephanie to hurry and get ready for dinner at her grandparents house. Although the rain had stopped, the aftermath had reduced rush hour traffic to a slow crawl. So the 37 mile drive to Ernesto and Armena's house took well over an hour.

* * *

><p>Ranger's childhood dwelling was on a quiet tree-lined street, sitting on the NewarkHillside border line. The two-story colonial home boasted charcoal gray siding and cream colored shutters. A black cast iron fence sufficiently framed the house, tucking Ernesto and Armena inside a cozy habitat where six children had once laughed and played. Inside, there were four bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, and a finished basement that Ernesto had recently upgraded into a media room. The house was much larger than the Plum's quaint row house. But Stephanie guessed that the Manoso household had once been way too crowded, with six children sharing three bedrooms, and two adults occupying the fourth.

The aroma of roasted meat and baked bread slipped through the screen door and relaxed on the front porch of the Manoso home. Ranger knocked on the metal frame of the screen door to make his presence known, and then opened the door and ushered his family inside. They walked down a narrow foyer that connected to a charming dining area on the left, and a formal living room, filled with antique furniture on the right. The kitchen, adjacent to the dining room, was separated by café style swinging doors.

Armena popped her head out of the kitchen to see who'd arrived and called out to her husband. "Ernesto, Julie's here!"

Wearing jeans and a short- sleeve purple sweater, Armena had her long hair pulled back into a bun, and an apron tied around her waist. Beaming, she wiped her hands on the apron and walked toward Julie, pulling her into her arms.

"Oh my goodness," she said, looking at her granddaughter. "I can't believe how big you've gotten."

"You haven't seen me in years," Julie reminded her grandmother, hugging her tightly.

"Look at you; mi hermosa nieta."

"What does that mean?" Julie asked, looking up at her grandmother.

"My beautiful granddaughter."

This got a smile out of Julie. "Mi…hermosa…nieta," Julie repeated, trying pronounce the words correctly.

Armena smiled warmly. "You got it, sweetie."

Stephanie glanced at Ranger as he studied his mother and daughter together. There was a mixture of affection and pride covering his face. As Julie had gotten older, Ranger had kept a safe emotional distance from her. Most likely to suppress the guilt of knowing he wasn't the father he should have been. But at this moment, he couldn't hide the love he truly felt for his daughter. The one thing Stephanie had hoped to get out of Julie's visit was a chance to see Ranger drop the façade and allow himself the opportunity to love his daughter unreservedly, no matter how far apart they were.

Ranger cleared his throat, reminding his mother that she'd failed to greet her son and future daughter-in-law. It was true that kids took all the attention away from their parents.

"Who did you drag in here for dinner?" Armena asked Julie teasingly.

Hugging his mother tightly, Armena stood on her tip toes to return the hug, kissing Ranger on the cheek before letting him go. She mirrored the same move with Stephanie, beaming proudly at the newly formed family.

"How has parenthood been treating you this week?"

"Parenthood is great," Stephanie said, looking at Julie with a smile. "Julie's a good kid."

Ranger nodded in agreement. "She hasn't given us any problems."

"There she is!" Ernesto said, breezing into the living room. Ernesto had on faded jeans and a button down blue shirt, open at the collar. He immediately whisked Julie of her feet and gave her a bear hug. "I heard you're in college now."

Julie giggled in her grandfather's embrace, holding on for dear life. "No! I'm a sixth grader in middle school."

"Middle school?" Ernesto asked, feigning disbelief. "I thought you'd be in college by now."

He set Julie down on the carpet and ruffled her hair. "The last time we saw you, you were headed to kindergarten. And now you're in middle school. Time flies when you get old, nieta."

Julie nodded her head, as if she could relate to getting old.

Ernesto hugged and welcomed Ranger and Stephanie, taking everyone's jackets and hanging them in the coat closet by the front door.

Armena said, "Doesn't Julie look just like Celia when she was a child, Ernesto?"

Looking down at his granddaughter, Ernesto nodded his head. "Spitting image, if you ask me."

"Dinner will be ready in a half hour," Armena said to Julie, as if she were the only one in the room. Then, turning to Ranger, she said, "Carlos, when you go downstairs, tell your sister to get up here. I need her help in the kitchen."

"I'll give you a hand, too," Stephanie said, following Armena into the kitchen.

"Celia, Kevin, and the kids are downstairs watching a movie," Ernesto said, leading the way. "Lupe and Courtney should be here any minute now. You know they are always fashionably late."

Julie stayed close to Ranger as they all padded down to the basement.

Celia was curled up next to her husband, Kevin, on a contemporary, jade brown, leather sectional sofa. Their two children, Corey and Kaley, were sitting Indian style on the floor, engrossed in the movie showing on the 52 inch, flat screen television mounted on the wall.

When Ernesto walked into the room with Ranger and Julie, Celia jumped off the couch.

"Is that my niece? Oh my God, look at you."

Cupping Julie's face in her hands, she studied her niece's features before pulling her in for a warm hug. "I'm Auntie Celia. It's so nice to finally meet you."

Celia was the oldest girl of the Manoso clan, two years younger than Lupe, and three years older than Ranger. The sibling's ages spanned from 25 to 38, with two to three years separating each child.

"Hi, Auntie Celia," Julie said, smiling at her aunt. "It's nice to meet you, too."

Celia was two inches taller than her mother and 20 pounds heavier. She wasn't fat, but her voluptuous physique had stuck around long after the birth of her last child. She shared the same dark features as her siblings, and her shiny, black hair was cut in a stylish chin length bob. She had a megawatt smile, just like Ranger, and a perfect nose, just like Julie.

"We have the same nose!" Celia said to her husband, pulling Julie to her bosom for another hug, holding her tight.

"Let her breath, Celia," Kevin said, standing behind his wife, waiting to greet Julie.

Kevin was a six foot, blond haired, blue eyed IRS accountant with Swedish blood running through his veins. He'd met Celia in college and the two had hit it off right away, tying the knot a few months after graduation. Standing together, the stark difference in the couple's appearance was almost laughable. But Celia and Kevin had a healthy and happy marriage, one that had lasted almost 15 years.

Celia let go of Julie so Kevin could give her a hug. "I'm Uncle Kevin," he said in his best radio voice. Ranger had continuously teased his brother-in-law about being in the wrong profession. The man had a deep, radio friendly voice, and Celia claimed that Kevin's sexy tone of voice had captured her undivided attention from day one.

"Hey, Uncle Kevin," Julie said through a smile as Corey and Kaley looked on with curiosity, wondering what their new cousin was all about. They knew she existed, but had never met her.

Celia turned her attention to Ranger and punched him in the arm. "I haven't seen you and Stephanie in months, Carlos. You are so bad at keeping in touch."

Ranger passed a glance to Julie, silently saying, '_That's why I locked her in the closet_.'

Leaning in for a hug, Ranger said, "Sorry. We've been really busy. But the phone works both ways, sis."

"I'm the mother of two busy kids. I barely have time to use the bathroom."

"Excuses, excuses," Ranger said, kissing his sister on the top of her head. "Stephanie is helping Mom in the kitchen. And you've also been called into action."

"Gotta go," Celia said to Kevin. "I've been called upon by the matriarch of the family."

She blew the kids a kiss and disappeared up the stairs.

Greeting his niece and nephew, Ranger introduced Julie to them. "Corey and Kaley, this is my daughter, Julie. She's here visiting from Miami."

"Hi, Julie from Miami," Kaley said. At six-years-old, Kaley was blond like her father, with hazel eyes and a dimple in her right cheek.

10-year-old Corey, who favored his mother, offered a wave and a "Nice to meet you, Julie," before turning his attention back to Ranger. "I want muscles like you, Uncle Carlos."

"You do?" Ranger said, sitting down next to his father on the couch, motioning for Julie to do the same. "You'll have to train a long time to get muscles like this, kiddo."

"I can do it," Corey said, looking at his dad for confirmation. Kevin carried the body structure of a man who sat at a computer all day and crunched numbers. He wasn't a small guy, but he was in no way a brawny man either.

"I'm afraid I can't help you there, buddy," Kevin told his son, finding his place on the couch. "The only kind of weight I lift is a paper weight on my desk."

"That's okay, dad. I'm going to train with Uncle Carlos."

"Yeah, I'll train you, Corey," Ranger said, pacifying his nephew. "Maybe we can start this summer."

"I'll put you on my calendar," Corey said, turning his attention back to the movie.

"You can sit with me, Julie." Kaley was happy to have another girl in the room.

"Okay, I'll sit with you," Julie said, leaving her father, uncle, and grandfather on the couch, talking sports.

Upstairs in the kitchen, Celia and Stephanie helped Armena put the finishing touches on dinner. Armena had been up since the crack of dawn, preparing a pork roast, lemon-maple squash, black bean salad, pan cubano bread, and banana flambé for dessert. And unlike the Plum household, dinner did not have to be served precisely at six p.m., but Armena wanted everyone seated at the dining room table before seven.

"Okay, Stephanie, give it up," Celia said, lifting a piece of foil off the roast. "How is my little brother doing with Julie?"

"He's really surprising me," Stephanie said, slicing the Cuban bread and placing it in a woven bread basket. "There was a minor confrontation between the two early on, but after Ranger laid down the law of the land, it's been smooth sailing."

Shaking her head as she spooned the squash into a serving dish, Armena looked at Stephanie in wonder. "I don't know how you did it, Stephanie. A couple of years ago, I thought my son would never settle down. And now here he is, getting married and building a relationship with his daughter. My goodness, I'm seeing it with my own eyes, and still can't believe it."

Celia laughed from her belly. "I know this is not a revelation to you, Stephanie, but my brother used to be a hit-it-and-split kind of guy."

Stephanie nodded her head. "Trust me, I know."

"When I first learned that Carlos was going to be a father at 20-years-old, I figured he'd never see the mother and child again. But then he shocked the hell out of all of us. He married Julie's mother, and we didn't know what to think."

"Yeah, but it didn't take long for Rachel to figure out that Carlos wasn't exactly husband material," Armena said to Celia. "I know my son was trying to do the right thing, but he wasn't ready back then."

"That's for sure," Celia added.

"I can tell he's ready now," Armena offered, giving Stephanie a grateful smile. "Have you decided where you're going to get married?"

"Turks and Caicos," Stephanie answered, smiling back at Armena. The woman had a beautiful, infectious smile.

Armena looked impressed. "Wow! That's a perfect place for a wedding, as well as a romantic honeymoon."

Pushing a serving spoon into the bowl of squash, she supplied, "I'm putting my baby order in now. I want two more grandsons. There are too many girls in this family."

"I don't know," Stephanie said apprehensively. "Three Ranger's running around the house is probably more than I can handle."

"That's way too much testosterone, honey," Celia chuckled, slicing the roast pork. "I would love a week long vacation in Turks and Caicos, just me and Kevin, no kids."

"When I was a young mother, parents took their kids on vacation with them," Armena said, pulling the black bean salad from the refrigerator.

"Mama, we only took one family vacation that I can remember. Disneyworld."

"And you were lucky to get that," Armena said, laughing heartily. "We couldn't afford too many family vacations with six mouths to feed. You kids were lucky to have bread and water."

"Moral of the story," Celia said, leaning against Stephanie. Wait to have kids. Enjoy your time with your husband, travel, see the world. I love my children dearly, but if I had to do it over again, I would have waited even longer than four years."

"Good recommendation," Stephanie said to Celia. She didn't think Ranger would have a problem with big sis's advice.

"Well, you'll have a good practice run with Julie," Armena said to Stephanie. "Will she be visiting often?"

"I hope so. I think it's important for Julie and Ranger to have a solid relationship. And I think he'll agree, especially now that he has spent time with her, on his own."

"I'm just relieved he agreed to put forth the effort," Armena said. "You're a good woman, Stephanie. I'm glad you're in my son's life."

"I appreciate that, Armena. I'm very fortunate to have Ranger and Julie in my life. They make me feel more responsible. Like a full-fledged adult."

"Okay, now that that Hallmark moment is over," Celia said, shoving a piece of pork into her mouth, smiling at Stephanie and Armena. "Let's eat!"

Lupe and Courtney showed up just as everyone was gathering in the dining room to take their seats.

"Nice of you to finally show up, big brother," Celia said, punching Lupe in the arm.

Courtney smiled and waved at everyone, making a bee line for a chair at the dining room table. She didn't want to hold up progress. Everyone was hungry and ready to eat. Lupe, on the other hand, made the rounds, greeting everyone at the table, as if he was a candidate running for president.

Giving Ranger a fist bump, Lupe turned his attention to Julie. "My, my, my, aren't' you a pretty little thing. You must look just like your mother."

Lupe had never seen Julie's mother, as Ranger was only married to her for a minute. But he could clearly see the child's features strongly favored those of her father.

Julie looked up at her uncle with a vacant stare. "Actually, I look just like Ranger."

"And Celia," Ernesto threw in, sitting down at the head of the table.

"Julie," Ranger said coolly. "Regrettably, this is your Uncle Lupe."

Kaley and Corey giggled at Ranger, and Kevin gave them a sharp look. "Behave."

Apparently, Kaley and Corey were used to the back and forth banter between their uncles.

"Okay you two, cut it out," Armena warned Lupe and Ranger. "Or you'll both be eating dinner on the porch."

Ignoring Ranger, Lupe kissed and hugged Julie and pointed toward his wife, Courtney, who was evidently ready to eat and run.

"That's your Aunt Courtney."

Courtney waved and smiled, blowing a kiss in Julie's direction, in the spirit of a celebrity greeting her biggest fan. Her hair was platinum blond and curly, and her cleavage was spilling out of a tight red sweater. She winked at Ranger and smiled at Stephanie.

Plastering on a fake smile, Julie said, "Nice to meet both of you." She clearly wasn't impressed with the Lupe and Courtney reality show.

Everyone sat down at the dining room table with Ernesto and Armena anchoring each end. Ernesto recited the Hail Mary Full of Grace Prayer, and then they all went to work, passing serving bowls and filling plates. Julie was seated in between Ranger and Stephanie, and she filled her plate full of food. Ranger chuckled at his daughter. The child ate more than a growing boy.

By the time dessert arrived, everyone was sharing family stories and catching up. Deciding to pass on dessert, Ranger offered his serving to Stephanie and Julie to share. They finished his helping, and then started in on their own.

Armena was finishing up her dessert when she looked at Stephanie. "I forgot to tell you that I talked to your mother a couple of days ago, Stephanie. She asked if I could help with the reception."

"I'm glad she called you," Stephanie said. "She's been meaning to get in touch with you for a couple of weeks."

"We'll all need to sit down and discuss a theme for your reception."

Stephanie nodded. "We'll meet up next week and nail down a plan."

"When exactly is the reception?" Celia asked.

"22nd of October," Ranger told his sister.

"Only a few months away," Kevin reminded Ranger.

"Where are you two going to get married?" Lupe asked, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"Turks and Caicos," Stephanie answered, smiling at Ranger.

Ernesto blew out an impressed whistle. "Nice choice. I hear the weather is perfect there in October."

Sitting beside Lupe, Courtney threw an envious look in Stephanie's direction. Lupe had taken his third wife to the Justice of the Peace to get married. At the time, Courtney had been in her second trimester of pregnancy, and Lupe did not want to spend extra money to walk his pregnant wife-to-be down an aisle. He'd already plowed through two failed marriages, and had three kids to support.

Lupe's eyes followed Courtney's, and he cleared his throat. "Turks and Caicos, huh?

And you'll still have enough money left to pay for a reception?"

"Money's not an option," Ranger said, staring pointedly at his brother. Julie looked at her father with pride, and Courtney rolled her eyes at Lupe for good measure. Stephanie polished off dessert and did her best to ignore the pissing contest between the two brothers.

"Since we're foregoing a traditional wedding," she said, looking at Lupe. "We'll actually save money."

Lupe shrugged, not willing to admit that Stephanie might be right. Instead, he looked at Ranger, and said, "Take if from me, bro, you might want to save your money."

"I guess three marriages would make you an expert on saving money," Ranger said evenly. He held his brother's gaze, silently daring him to bring it on. Lupe was older, but he definitely wasn't wiser, or stronger.

"I can't blame you two for running away to get married," Armena interrupted, glaring at her sons, clearly tired of the back and forth. "Traditional weddings are stressful and expensive."

Then looking at Stephanie and Ranger, she confirmed, "We all respect your decision to have a private ceremony."

Celia nodded in agreement. "I think Dad is still paying off wedding expenses."

"With interest," Ernesto said, around a mouth full of flambé. "I'll have to work until I'm 85-years-old."

Armena stood to her feet and began to clear the table. And without hesitation, Julie followed suite, stacking dishes.

"Oh, sweetie, you don't have to do that. I'll take care of it."

Julie glanced at her father for confirmation.

"Not my house, not my rules," Ranger said, smiling at Julie.

"I like Grandma Manoso's rules," Julie said, returning to her seat.

"You kids go find something to watch on television. Celia and Stephanie are going to help me clean up," Armena said, winking her eye at Julie.

* * *

><p>By the time Ranger, Stephanie, and Julie made it back to Hunterdon County, it was well past midnight. Julie shuffled off to bed, Stephanie gave Rex a taste of leftovers from dinner, and Ranger locked up and set the alarm before joining Stephanie in the bedroom.<p>

"Lupe and Courtney are not happily married," Stephanie pointed out, peeling off her clothes.

Unbuttoning his shirt and pulling it off, Ranger shook his head. "I can't remember the last time my brother was truly happy with anyone. He made the choice to marry three women in the span of six years, and now he has to live with the consequences."

"What do you think he's searching for?" Stephanie asked.

Ranger shrugged and kicked off his shoes. "Whatever it is, he's not going to find it in multiple wives."

Studying Stephanie closely as she slid out of her jeans, Ranger said, "I'm nothing like Lupe, if that's what you're worried about. I know exactly what I want."

Stephanie sat on the edge of the bed, wearing only a black lace bra and thong panties. Her eyes traveled the length of Ranger's body, taking him in from head to toe. His jeans were hanging low on his waist, a belt holding them in place. His chest was bare and his muscles seemed to flex on their own. Stephanie felt something stir in her belly, and she glanced at the bedroom door.

Following her eyes, Ranger walked to the door, closed it, and turned the lock. "Babe, you just licked your lips. You want me bad."

"It seems like weeks, but it's only been three days since we last made love," Stephanie said, eyeing the swell in Ranger's jeans.

"I knew you wouldn't make it five days."

Stephanie chewed her lower lip, contemplating her next move. With anticipation, she said, "Let's go downstairs to the den."

Ranger eased his body between Stephanie's knees, gently pushing her back onto her elbows.

"If we go to the den, you'll just try to distract me with another Walton's marathon. We're going to stay right here in our bedroom. Julie's asleep."

Without another word of protest, Stephanie watched Ranger unfasten his belt and slide his jeans over his black briefs, his manhood straining against the cotton fabric. Then he peeled Stephanie's thong off her ass and unhooked her bra. They both fell back on the bed as Ranger nestled himself between Stephanie's thighs. Stephanie pushed out a low moan, anticipated what was next.

"Quiet," Ranger said, pushing his mouth over hers, tasting her lips.

As their tongues dueled for possession, Stephanie tugged at Ranger's briefs, pushing them over his lean hips. He broke the kiss just long enough to kick his underwear to the side, releasing his throbbing member into Stephanie's waiting hand. She massaged Ranger slowly, her hand moving up and down his shaft, feeling him grow more rigid with each stroke.

"Babe," Ranger said through a compliant gasp.

And then he entered Stephanie slowly, sliding deep into her wet center. Cradling Ranger between her thighs, Stephanie locked her ankles at the small of his back, anchoring her arms around his strong shoulders. She bit into her lower lip to stifle another moan while Ranger found his pace, slow and steady. Then their bodies moved in sync, pelvises grinding together. Whenever Stephanie opened her mouth to let out a moan, Ranger covered her lips with his own, using his tongue as a soothing buffer. After a few moments of slow penetration, their pace quickened, their breathing became shallower, and perspiration dampened their skin. Stephanie's toes curled as a familiar fire started a slow burn in her belly, inching its way up her spine. And then she heard Julie's bedroom door open across the hall. Stephanie froze underneath Ranger, her legs clamping down around his hips to stop his movement.

"Are you shitting me?" Ranger groaned, as if he were in pain.

"Don't move," Stephanie whispered in his ear.

They waited, listening to Julie pad down the hall to the bathroom, the door shutting behind her. Ranger cautiously began to pump his hips again, hoping to keep the momentum going. They were almost there.

"What are you doing?" Stephanie whispered in his ear, halting the movement of his hips with her legs. "Julie's awake."

"Stay quiet. She'll be back in her room in a couple of minutes."

"This is too distracting," Stephanie said. "What if she doesn't go right back to sleep?"

Ranger blew out a frustrated sigh, rolled off Stephanie, and flopped onto his back, staring at the ceiling.

"Babe."


	6. Chapter 6

**Let's Play House**

**Chapter Six**

Julie was up bright and early Friday morning, watching a music channel on television. Stephanie popped her head into the den on her way to the kitchen to pull together a hot breakfast.

"Morning."

"Morning," Julie returned, eyes glued to the television. Justin Bieber was sitting on a couch being interviewed by some guy wearing a colorful Mohawk.

"He's announcing details about a summer tour," Julie said to Stephanie, all giddy and excited.

Feigning delight, Stephanie said, "That's great! What do you want for breakfast?"

"Waffles?"

"Sounds good," Stephanie said. She was glad she'd stocked up on frozen waffles last week. Glancing at the television, she said, "Looks like J.B. cut his hair."

"Can you believe it?" Julie said, finally turning to look at Stephanie, seemingly glad she noticed.

"At first I didn't like it. But now I love it! He's even sexier than he was before."

"Sure." Stephanie said, doing a mental eye roll. From her standpoint, there was nothing sexy about Justin Bieber. However, she wasn't looking at him though the eyes of a 12-year-old.

"Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes."

"Do you need my help?" Julie offered.

"Nope. You catch up with J.B. I'll be fine."

Padding into the kitchen, Stephanie's mouth stretched wide, allowing a yawn to escape as she pulled a box of frozen waffles out of the freezer. She felt a strong urge to crawl back into bed and sleep for another hour or so. But there was a child in the next room waiting for a hot meal. And one of the biggest lessons that Stephanie and Ranger had learned about parenthood during the course of the last few days, was that a child's needs should always come first.

Last night, she and Ranger had waited a full hour after Julie's bathroom break to finish what Stephanie had abruptly stopped, mid stroke. Ranger had used a few creative tongue maneuvers to take Stephanie's mind off the 12-year-old across the hall. As soon as he'd gained her undivided attention, he'd worked his magic into the wee hours of the morning.

To his credit, Ranger had shown a great deal of patients with Stephanie regarding the no sex situation, since they had delved head first into parenthood, with no prior training or how-to book. But the fact of the matter was; if Julie was going to be sharing their home on a recurring basis, Stephanie would have to get over her fear of getting caught in the act, and just go with the flow. At the end of the day, it was all part of being a parent.

"Breakfast is ready!" Stephanie yelled to Ranger and Julie. It had taken her 20 minutes to prepare waffles, turkey bacon, and hash browns. Was she getting good at this breakfast thing or what?

By noon, everyone was dressed and ready to start their day. Ranger was wearing his standard work uniform, on his way to the Rangeman office to sign payroll checks. And Stephanie was taking Julie to her mother's house for lunch.

"Will you be able to join us for lunch after you sign checks?" Julie asked her father, pulling on a jean jacket over a blue t-shirt with an image of Lady Gaga on the front. Julie seemed to enjoy Ranger's company, which was a good sign for both of them.

"After I sign checks, I have a short meeting to attend, so I'll grab a sandwich from Ella. After lunch, Stephanie's going to bring you to Rangeman. I'll give you a tour then."

"Cool! Who's Ella?"

"Ella is our housekeeper at Rangeman."

"You have a housekeeper?"

"Yes. She helps take care of all my employees."

Julie looked at Ranger in amazement, as if trying to imagine her father receiving his food on a silver platter, from a woman wearing a maid's uniform.

"This afternoon, we'll drive over to Princeton University for a campus tour," Ranger continued.

"Okay!" Julie said, smiling at her father. She was obviously pleased with the schedule for the day.

Ranger kissed Stephanie's lips, and then he kissed Julie on the top of her head. Escorting his girls out of the house and into the garage, he said, "See you in a couple of hours," and angled into the Porsche.

Stephanie gave Ranger a finger wave as he backed out of the garage. Then it suddenly dawned on her that a unique scenario had unfolded in their life. During the last few days, Ranger had proven that he was more than capable of being a dedicated father and husband. Moreover, they'd both proven to one another that they were capable of living a normal life, without the distraction of looming peril. Not so long ago, Stephanie and Ranger had been hunting criminals, dodging bullets, and running from commitment. Today, they were leaving their family home, daughter in tow, with plans to tour a college campus. Truth be told, this 'new normal' was a surreal concept to Stephanie. But she liked it.

* * *

><p>Helen and Grandma Mazur were standing at the front door when Stephanie and Julie pulled into the driveway of the Plum home.<p>

"Look at this little beauty," Grandma Mazur said, greeting Julie as she stepped on the front stoop. Grandma Mazur's hair was dyed neon pink, and she had on a track suit that the same color as her hair.

"Your hair is so cool," Julie said, admiring the pink strands.

Grandma Mazur hugged Julie. "I haven't had my hair this bright since I was in a rock band."

"You were in a rock band?" Julie asked Grandma Mazur, giggling in disbelief.

"I was real popular back then. I'm surprised Stephanie hasn't filled you in."

"I haven't got around to it," Stephanie lied, ushering Julie through the door. There was no way to explain Grandma Mazur. Most folks just had to live the experience.

Helen smiled at Julie and pulled her in for a hug. "I've heard so much about you. It's so good to finally meet you, Julie"

"Thank you," Julie said politely. "It's nice to meet you, too."

"We're in the kitchen," Helen said, leading the way.

"Who does your hair?" Julie asked Grandma Mazur, staring in awe. She'd probably never seen a woman as old as Grandma Mazur with pink hair.

"Trenton Beauty College. They give 50% discounts to senior citizens."

"And it shows," Helen said, eyeballing her mother's hair.

"This here is the latest style, Helen. It's always good to try something new."

"My parents won't allow me to dye my hair," Julie told Grandma Mazur, sitting next to Stephanie at the kitchen table.

"Maybe when you're older," Grandma Mazur said, patting the top of Julie's head for emphasis.

Stephanie's mother had prepared a bowl of chicken salad for sandwiches. Potato chips, homemade oatmeal raisin cookies, and a picture of cold lemonade were resting on the table.

"I think we should test the cookies out, Grandma Mazur supplied, picking up the plate of cookies, passing it to Julie.

Julie glanced at Stephanie to make sure it was okay to eat dessert first. Stephanie answered by grabbing a cookie off the plate. Julie and Grandma Mazur did the same. Helen eyed Grandma Mazur wearily and rushed to assemble the chicken salad sandwiches. God forbid everyone got full off dessert before the main meal. That just didn't happen in Helen's kitchen.

"Are you enjoying your stay in Trenton?" she asked Julie, cutting the sandwiches into perfect triangles.

"Yes. I'm having a great time. We went to New York City the day before yesterday, and today we're going to see the Princeton University campus."

"Are you thinking about college right now?" Grandma Mazur asked, teeth shifting around a cookie.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Well ain't that a pip!"

"Yes, ma'am," Julie agreed, although she had no idea what a pip was.

Helen set the sandwiches on the table while Stephanie chewed her cookie and poured lemonade into glasses.

"My step-father's brother graduated from Princeton," Julie explained, picking up a sandwich. "He said it was a solid place to get an education. And since Ranger and Stephanie are here, I'll be close to family."

"Such a smart little girl," Helen said, sitting down at the table. "You seem to have a good head on your shoulders, Julie."

Julie nodded, biting into her sandwich. "And I'm going to help pay for my college tuition," she said proudly.

Grandma Mazur smiled. "You're an independent one, that's for sure. A perfect fit for this family. And by the time you get to college, you'll have more sisters and brothers, too."

"More!" Stephanie said. "How many kids do you think I'm going to have?"

Grandma Mazur thought for a beat. "Two…three at the most."

"I hope they're not a pain like my little brother and sister," Julie said, washing down chicken salad with cold lemonade.

Stephanie looked at Julie. "By the time I have a kid, you'll probably be too old to care."

"Just how long are you planning to wait?" Grandma Mazur enquired.

"I don't know. I'd like to enjoy married life for a while."

"Your female parts will be all dried up before you know it," Grandma Mazur warned.

Helen crossed her chest and offered Julie an apologetic smile, handing her another half of a sandwich.

"And then you'll have to adopt one of them kids from Africa," Stephanie's grandmother continued. "You know all those celebrities are adopting from Africa now. You'll have a hard time competing with fame and money."

"Well, that's true," Helen said, nodding her head. "You should probably adopt right here in America. Hardly anybody does that anymore."

"Why don't we hold off on talk of adoption for now," Stephanie said, taking a bite of her sandwich. "I don't foresee any problems having a baby the good old fashioned way."

"Too much pressure?" Julie asked Stephanie around a giggle. She thought Grandma Mazur and Helen were funny ladies.

Stephanie nodded her head. "All this talk about babies, dried up woman parts, and adoption is giving me an eye twitch."

"You seem to be doing okay with me. I think you'll be a good mom."

"I appreciate the support," Stephanie said, offering Julie a grateful smile. "But you're easy. You're potty trained, and you can dress yourself."

This got a smile out of Julie. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Taking care of a baby is not so bad," Stephanie's mother said around a mouthful of chicken salad. "You and Valerie grew up so fast. I hardly had time to enjoy the infant stage."

"Helen peed in the bed until she was ten," Grandma Mazur offered. "I couldn't wait to get her out of the house."

Shooting her mother a glare that could take out a heavy weight boxing champ, Helen turned as red as a beet, and then she glanced toward the cabinet where her liquor was stashed.

Julie held her breath, cheeks puffed out, trying not to laugh. Stephanie glanced at her watch.

"Where's dad?" she asked, changing the subject.

"You're father had to pick up Old Man Jake for a doctor's appointment." This meant Frank was at the lodge, playing cards and chugging down beer.

"I spoke with Ranger's mother last week," Helen told Stephanie.

"She mentioned that yesterday. I promised her that we'd all get together next week and make some plans for the reception."

"That's great!" Grandma Mazur chimed in. "I'm going to be in charge of the music for the reception. You gotta have some dance music at a party. You and Ranger can do your first

dance to Bon Jovi."

"Who's Bon Jovi?" Julie asked Stephanie, polishing off her lunch. In Julie's world, Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga were the only two people in the world that made real music.

"Before your time," Stephanie told Julie, glancing at her watch again. "We have to get going. I'm taking Julie to Rangeman."

Ranger wasn't expecting them for another hour, but Stephanie needed an excuse to take off. She didn't want to spend the next hour agreeing on crazy ideas for her wedding reception.

"I'll wrap up some sandwiches for Ranger," Helen said, pushing back from the table.

"Ranger's housekeeper made his lunch today," Julie offered innocently.

A look of surprise passed over Helen's face. "Ranger has a housekeeper?"

"I thought you were the keeper of Ranger's house," Grandma Mazur said, looking at Stephanie. "Why on earth would Ranger pay someone to do what you should be doing?"

As far as Helen and Grandma Mazur were concerned, women tended to their own homes. They didn't believe in housekeepers. Therefore, Stephanie had never told them about Ella, because she knew they wouldn't approve. However, Julie hadn't been filled in on the little secret. She was delighted to share the news.

"Gotta go," Stephanie said, pulling Julie behind her, heading toward the door. "Thanks for lunch."

Waving goodbye, Julie said, "Thanks for lunch. It was nice to meet you."

Still dumfounded over the housekeeper news, Stephanie's mother and grandmother waved goodbye to Julie with open-mouthed astonishment.

As they walked to the car, Julie looked at Stephanie. "Did I say too much?"

"My mother and grandmother are old fashioned," Stephanie said. "Don't' worry about it."

"Old fashioned people don't believe in housekeepers?" Julie asked, climbing into the SUV and fastening her seatbelt.

"They believe a woman should be all things, to all people, all the time. Ella is our part-time housekeeper, plus she's a full-time coordinator for the Rangeman facilities. She's a huge help to me when my schedule gets too hectic. My mother has always been a housewife and she doesn't really understand the struggles of a woman who has to work outside the home."

"Now that my mom has to work part-time, I bet she would love to have housekeeper," Julie pointed out.

"I bet she would," Stephanie agreed, a pang of guilt hitting her in the stomach.

If Julie's parents were really struggling financially, a housekeeper would not be a reality in their household. Stephanie hoped she wasn't coming across as an insensitive person, because she was well aware of how fortunate she was to have the extra help. Just a couple of years ago, she was struggling to buy food and pay rent.

"Is my father rich?" Julie asked Stephanie as she traveled down Hamilton.

A beat passed. And then Stephanie said, "Maybe you should ask Ranger."

"You're going to be his wife. Shouldn't you know?"

"Yes, but that's a discussion you should have with your father, not me."

For someone so young, Julie seemed to be preoccupied with money, or the lack thereof. Or maybe her parent's situation made everyone look rich in her eyes. Whatever the case, Stephanie didn't feel comfortable discussing Ranger's wealth with his daughter. It wasn't her place.

* * *

><p>Ranger was sitting at his desk, reading over a stack of paperwork when Stephanie and Julie arrived at Rangeman. He looked up from his work and smiled, pushing the stack to the side of his desk.<p>

"What's up, ladies? How was lunch?"

"Lunch was good. We had chicken salad and cookies," Julie said, sidling up next to Ranger.

She studied the stack of papers on his desk, curiosity shining in her eyes.

Sitting in a chair across from Ranger's desk, Stephanie looked on as the inquisitive girl took in her father's work environment.

"What do you do in here all day?" Julie asked Ranger.

Pointing to his computer screen, Ranger said, "I help monitor client accounts, pay bills, create contracts, sign payroll checks, respond to email and phone inquiry's about Rangeman services, and attend meetings. And if I'm not in the office, I'm out in the field, doing various jobs.

Or throwing them out of a window, Stephanie thought to herself. She loved the way Ranger had diplomatically described his 'field work'.

"Wow! You do a lot of work here."

"Yes, I stay very busy."

Looking at the blinking lights on the computer monitor, Julie said, "This looks confusing."

Ranger smiled and pushed back from his desk. "It would be confusing to an untrained eye.  
>The system is state-of-the-art and very complex." Standing to his feet, hooking an arm around Julie's shoulders, he said, "I'll give you a tour, and then we'll head over to Princeton. The campus tour starts at two-thirty."<p>

"I'm going to leave you two for a while." Stephanie said, standing to her feet. "I need to grab a few things at the grocery store for dinner tonight."

Stephanie wanted to give Julie and Ranger time alone. It was obvious the child had questions for her father. And there seemed to be a nice comfort level between Ranger and Julie now.

Taking the queue, Ranger nodded his head, understanding that it was his turn for quality time. "We'll be home in a couple of hours."


	7. Chapter 7

**Let's Play House**

**Chapter Seven**

The Princeton University campus was spread across 500 acres over central New Jersey. To celebrate the spring weather, exotic flowers were on display in the Prospect Garden, situated in the middle of the campus. Arriving 20 minutes early, Ranger and Julie took a shuttle from the visitor's parking lot to Clio Hall. And with 15 minutes to kill, they sat together on a bench, admiring the greenery while waiting for the student tour guide to arrive.

Julie's eyes followed the students as they moved across the freshly manicured lawns of the campus grounds, heading to various classes with book bags slung over their shoulders. Lost in her own thoughts, she appeared to be imagining herself in their place.

Ranger remained silent next to his daughter, allowing her a few minutes to soak in the academic environment. College life had never really excited Ranger. Outside of all the keg parties he'd participated in, he couldn't remember much of what he'd learned during the two year process. But knowing Julie, she'd probably remember every detail about her college experience.

After a few minutes of silence, Julie turned to Ranger inquisitively. "Did you go to college?"

"I completed a couple of years at Rutgers."

"Did you like college?"

"I didn't hate college. But I didn't focus much on my studies."

"How did you learn to be a businessman?"

"The Army taught me all about leadership skills," Ranger said. "But the military is not for everyone. I think college will be a perfect choice for you."

"The military teaches violence," Julie pointed out.

Ranger nodded his head. "Yes, defense is something that's taught in the military; however, hand to hand combat is only one aspect of the armed forces."

Julie was quiet for a beat, as if contemplating her next question. Then she said, "My mom believes that some people are taught to kill in the military."

Julie was fishing for information without actually asking her father a direct question. "She says it's one of the down sides of serving our country."

Ranger was bent at the waist, elbows resting on his knees. His eyes were hidden behind dark sun glasses, and he was still wearing his work clothes. He looked like a campus security guard.

"Yes. That's true," he said, studying the grass beneath his feet. Guessing what question was coming next; Ranger looked at Julie through the lens of his sunglasses. "It's probably best if we don't go down this road, Julie."

"Why?" Julie asked, honestly intrigued.

"Because we're trying to get to know one another, and there are some things that you are not ready to hear. Let's take one step at a time, okay?"

"I wouldn't be mad at you. I'd understand."

"Don't worry about it right now," Ranger said, feeling slightly uncomfortable. The last person in the world he wanted to dishearten was his daughter. And if Julie was aware of his past transgressions, she'd definitely see him in a different light.

Julie pulled in a breath and let it out slowly, looking off into the distance of the campus. "Did you love my mom?"

Ranger cut his eyes to his daughter. "You're killing me, kiddo. Don't you want to talk about Justin Bieber?"

Julie didn't blink. Instead, she turned her attention back to Ranger, waiting for an honest answer.

"I know you and your mother have had conversations about me," Ranger said to his daughter. "What did she tell you?"

"I want to hear your version of the story," Julie pressed, ignoring Ranger's question. "I have the right to know."

And then she lifted Ranger's sunglasses from his eyes and pushed them to the top of his head. "I need to see your eyes when you say it."

Sitting upright, turning to face his daughter, Ranger said, "I was not in love with your mother, Julie, nor was she in love with me. I was young and wild guy who was attracted to a good Catholic girl. Rachel got pregnant, I married her, and you were born a few months later."

"But you didn't really want me, did you?" Julie's words were barely audible. And though her bottom lip quivered, she was trying very hard not to cry. She didn't want to give Ranger the satisfaction.

With guilt pounding in his chest like a drum, Ranger ran his hand across his face. He didn't know what had brought on the barrage of questions, but he wasn't surprised that Julie felt comfortable enough with him to inquire. These kinds of questions had probably been eating at the child for years. Perhaps Rachel hadn't even known how to answer them. Julie definitely had the right to know the truth. Ranger owed her that much.

Ranger reached for Julie and pulled her into his side, placing an arm around her shoulder. Hoping to offer a bit of solace from the hard truth, he said, "I didn't know what I wanted back then, Julie. But I knew that I wouldn't have been a good father or husband.

And you and your mother deserved better than what I had to offer at the time."

Julie rested her head on Ranger's chest, silent as his words began to sink in. She wanted the truth, but she didn't know what to do with it now that she had it.

"Do you think you will ever love me?" Julie's words were mumbled, but Ranger heard them loud and clear, and his heart sank. He truly felt like a failure.

This time, Ranger didn't hesitate with his an answer. "I've always loved you, Julie. But you wouldn't have known that by my actions."

Putting a finger under Julie's chin, Ranger lifted her head to meet his eyes. "I hope you can forgive me, so we can move forward."

Julie nodded her head in the affirmative and held on to her father. Unconditional love was hard to deny, even if it was unearned.

A throat cleared behind them. "Good afternoon. I hate to interrupt, but it's time for your tour."

Ranger and Julie turned simultaneously at the interruption, offering the Manoso gaze to the student tour guide.

"I can come back in a few minutes, if you like," the young man said apprehensively. He was wearing reading glasses on his face, tattered jeans, and a faded Old-Glory t-shirt. The thick soled sandals on his feet showed off his stubby toes.

Easily reverting back into a giddy, 12-year-old college prospect, Julie quickly put the serious conversation out of her head and jumped to her feet. "Let's go," she said, smiling at the tour guide.

Slowly, Ranger stood to his feet, examining his daughter's sudden transformation. Unlike Julie, he couldn't get their conversation out of his head. In fact, he was feeling a bit exposed at the moment. Ranger had no idea how she'd achieved it, but in the matter of a few days, Julie had broken down his emotional barriers and forced him to look at their situation through her eyes. And it wasn't a good look.

Noticing her father's uneasiness, Julie slipped her hand into his, searching his face. "Are you ready?"

Ranger looked down at his daughter, realizing the question had nothing to do with the campus tour. Clutching her hand tightly, he said in a soft yet certain voice, "I'm ready."

* * *

><p>Stephanie was seasoning ground beef for a meatloaf when Ranger and Julie walked through the door, carrying Princeton University brochures.<p>

"How did it go?" She asked.

"Great," Julie said, peeking inside the cooking bowl to see what Stephanie was stirring up. "We took a campus tour."

"So, I take it you liked the campus?"

Julie nodded her head at Stephanie. "Yes, it was beautiful."

Stephanie's eyes followed Ranger as he opened the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of beer, and a can soda. He passed the soda to Julie and sat down at the kitchen table with the beer.

"Thanks," Julie said to her father, heading toward the stairs. "I'm going to listen to music for a while."

"Okay," Stephanie said, studying the youngster closely. "Dinner will be ready in about an hour."

Sitting quietly at the kitchen table, Ranger watched Stephanie put the meatloaf in a baking dish and slide it into the oven. Then she turned a burner on under a pot of potatoes, the blue flame flickering to life under the metal.

"Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and mixed vegetables," Stephanie said to Ranger, sitting down next to him at the table. "Sound good?"

Ranger smiled at Stephanie and took a pull of beer.

"You're drinking beer."

Lifting the bottle in front of his face, Ranger stared at it with a raised eyebrow.

"Cut it out," Stephanie said, concern lacing her words. "Did something happen between you and Julie?"

Ranger exhaled an almost imperceptible sigh. "Julie and I had a long talk, babe."

"And?"

"We're fine."

"You don't look fine. You look all done in. Talk to me?"

Ranger shoved the bottle around on the table for silent moment, and then he locked eyes with Stephanie.

"Today, my daughter looked me with her big brown eyes, and asked me if I would ever love her."

Ranger lowered his eyes to the table, the memory making him feel guilty all over again.

Stephanie closed her eyes, as if reliving the moment right along with Ranger. She'd guessed the conversation would eventually happen, she just didn't think it would happen this soon.

"I know that had to be a painful conversation for both of you."

It was obvious that Ranger was hurting emotionally, and Stephanie hardly knew what to say or do.

"I've accomplished a lot of things in my life," Ranger said softly. "But I've failed my own flesh and blood."

Taking Ranger's hand, Stephanie blew out a sigh. "Julie's had a good life, Ranger. She hasn't suffered from your absence. You can't beat yourself up over the past. Learn from your mistakes, and move forward."

"I allowed another man to take custody of my kid," Ranger continued, as if he hadn't heard a word Stephanie had just spoken. He met Stephanie's eyes again, a questioning look on his face. "What kind of man does that?"

"A man who was trying to do the right thing," Stephanie answered. "You did what you thought you had to do to, so that Julie could get the emotional support she needed."

"I asked her to forgive me."

"And?"

"I think she did."

Stephanie kissed Ranger's hand, blinking back tears. "Good. Now you have to forgive yourself."

Ranger studied Stephanie for a beat, his mind racing with thoughts. Stephanie could always see through all his bullshit, recognizing the real man beneath the surface.

"I'm a better human being because of you, Stephanie."

"You've always been a good human being, Ranger. You just didn't believe it."

Taking another pull of his beer, Ranger tried to pull himself together. "I guess we need to stop with all this sappy shit now."

Stephanie pulled the beer from Ranger's hand, taking a long swig of the cold and bitter beverage. "Yeah, I guess you're right. We don't do sentimental very well."

Julie's feet descended down the stairs, and she bounced into the kitchen with headphones hanging around her neck, MP3 player clipped to her jeans. "Is dinner almost ready? I'm hungry."

Ranger glanced at his daughter and smiled. "You're always hungry, kiddo."


	8. Chapter 8

**Let's Play House**

**Chapter Eight**

Point Pleasant was on the Saturday agenda for Julie's final spring break outing. By nine a.m. the family was gathered in the kitchen, eating a quick breakfast before leaving for the shore.

"How long does it take to get to Point Pleasant," Julie asked Ranger, pouring a second helping of Lucky Charms cereal into her bowl.

"If rush hour is not a factor, it takes a little over an hour," Ranger said, slicing a banana on top of Julie's cereal, insisting she add fruit to the bowl of sugar.

"Weekend traffic close to the shore can get crazy, too," Stephanie added. "But the tourist season doesn't start until early summer, so we should be okay. We'll have to make a quick stop to pick up Mary Alice and Angie."

Stephanie admired Ranger as he sliced the banana for his daughter. It was a task Julie could have done herself, but the paternal act seemed to please the child, so she didn't object.

Ranger was eating a whole wheat bagel with low fat cream cheese, and Stephanie's cereal bowl was full of Rice Crispi's. She dumped two tablespoons of sugar over the cereal and stirred in a cup of whole milk.

"Babe," Ranger said, cutting his eyes to Stephanie.

"Can we swim?" Julie asked around a mouthful of cereal and bananas.

"You're in Jersey, kiddo," Ranger said, finishing his bagel. "The water won't be warm enough for a swim. There'll be plenty to do on the boardwalk."

Looking at her fiancé through amused eyes, Stephanie polished off her cereal. Ranger was going to be stuck with three young girls all day long. And while he wasn't overly excited about the outing, he was taking one for the team, employing his fatherly duties.

Julie finished her cereal, cleared the dishes off the table, and loaded them into the dishwasher.

"I've finished my chores. Let's go."

It took an hour and 20 minutes to get to Point Pleasant, New Jersey, counting the stop in the Burg to pick up Stephanie's nieces. Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, the Black Eyed Peas, and Keisha entertained the three girls during the drive. For Ranger, the trip seemed longer than the actual hour and 20 minutes. Between the loud music and the pitchy sing along from three tone def girls, Ranger had a hard time finding his zone. In fact, Stephanie was pretty sure Ranger's zone had jumped out the car and hitched a ride back to Hunterdon County. By the time he pulled the SUV into a private pay parking lot, his right eye was twitching uncontrollably.

"I have a bottle of Tylenol in my purse," Stephanie said to Ranger, the girls piling out of the car.

"Can I overdose on Tylenol?" Ranger had a hopeful look on his face.

"Probably not."

"I'll pass."

"I have to go to the bathroom," Mary Alice said, looking around the parking lot.

"There are bathrooms along the boardwalk," Stephanie told her niece. "Can you hold it?"

Mary Alice nodded her head, brown curls bouncing on her shoulders. She stretched her muscles like a cat and said, "I'll wait."

Everybody was dressed in jeans, t-shirts of various sorts, and comfortable walking shoes. Taking full advantage of his time off, Ranger hadn't used a razor in a couple of days. His five o'clock shadow was about 48 hours past due for a shave. Wearing black jeans and a chest hugging t-shirt, Ranger looked extra sexy.

Stephanie gazed longingly at his body; the same way she frequently stared at a Boston cream donut. Catching her eye, Ranger's lips curled into a small smile and he silently mouthed, _you want me bad. _

Stephanie rolled her eyes, but her smile betrayed the deed. Grabbing Mary Alice by her hand, she said, "Let's find a bathroom."

After a quick bathroom run, Ranger, Stephanie, and the three girls made their way through modest crowds toward the fun house, which was on the southern stretch of the boardwalk. There was a long line of people waiting to get into the fun house, and the girls rushed to claim their spot in the ticket procession. Stephanie brought up the rear while Ranger watched over his family as if he were their private security detail.

After the fun house excursion was over, the girls dragged Ranger and Stephanie to an ice cream stand, and then through a maze of arcades, where they spent a lot of money, but collected only the minimum in prizes. By the time lunch rolled around, Stephanie was ready for a nap, and Ranger was begging for the Tylenol he'd declined earlier. The girls had already run them ragged.

Red's Lobster Pot Restaurant was a boat house docked in the water. The eatery sat directly across from a Coast Guard station and possessed the best seafood on the boardwalk, hands down. Inside, the walls were painted a light shade of blue and framed with white crown molding. The décor was not anything special, but the place was packed with hungry tourists, filling their faces with buckets of seafood.

Sitting in a booth next to a window overlooking the beach, Ranger and Stephanie's crew ordered off the lunch menu. Ranger and Stephanie sat on one side of the table, and the girl on the other.

"Let's order an appetizer," Stephanie said.

"Chips and salsa," Mary Alice chimed in.

"I hate salsa," Angie retorted. "I want the cheese quesadillas."

"The lobster ravioli looks good," Julie said, eyes scanning the menu.

Ranger passed a glance to Stephanie, his eyes begging for a quick and easy death.

"We're not ordering three different appetizers," Stephanie told the girls. "We'll all share an order of the cheese quesadillas.

"Uncle Ranger, what would you like for an appetizer," Mary Alice asked. She'd anointed Ranger with the title as soon as she'd heard he was marrying her aunt.

Ranger scanned the menu, pretending to ponder the choices, even though Stephanie knew what he was going to say.

"I think Stephanie made a good choice. Let's go with the quesadillas."

"The quesadillas were actually my choice," Angie pointed out, looking at Ranger with big blue eyes, wanting kudos for her suggestion. "Aunt Stephanie just went along with it."

"Well, let's give Miss Goodie Two Shoes the gold star," Julie said sarcastically, rolling her eyes at Angie.

"Sticks and Stones," Angie snapped, nose in the air.

Ranger threw a stern look Julie's way, a silent forewarning to knock it off. And then he turned his attention to Stephanie. "I'm going to need something stronger than Tylenol."

"Forget it," Stephanie said, eyes skimming the menu. "You're the designated driver."

Stephanie was clearly used to the mocking banter among pre-teen girls. Ranger, on the other hand, hadn't dealt with this much estrogen since he was a kid, living at home with his sisters. He'd probably throw all the girls out a window before lunch was over.

15 minutes after the shared appetizer disappeared, the waiter appeared with the group's lunch. Ranger and Stephanie shared a grilled seafood sampler platter, Mary Alice and Angie ordered chicken fingers and French fries, and Julie ordered fish tacos. As everyone devoured their meal, Mary Alice cleared her throat, prepared for an important announcement.

"I'm going to marry Justin Bieber when I graduate from high school."

"Shut up, Mary Alice." Angie had obviously heard her sister's declaration a few times too many.

Ranger gave a slight nod to his niece-to-be and continued to eat. Stephanie offered the youngster an appeasing smile, playing along with the fantasy. "Good for you, Mary Alice."

A couple of years ago, Mary Alice thought she was a horse, so in Stephanie's opinion, the Justin Bieber fantasy was completely normal.

Picking up a taco, Julie stifled a laugh. "I don't think you're Justin Bieber's type."

Mary Alice stopped chewing her food and swiveled her head in Julie's direction. "That's not true," she said, offended at the thought. "I read in the Teen Dream magazine that Justin prefers blue-eyed brunettes. So I'm exactly the type of girl he's looking for."

"That's a gossip magazine," Julie replied dismissively. "Half the stuff in it is made up."

Ranger's lips were twitching now. He was trying to eat and ignore the ridiculous conversation, but he was having a hard time stifling a laugh of his own. Stephanie peeled a shrimp and looked on as Mary Alice made her case. She wondered if she should intervene before the trivial conversation got out of hand.

"Stop being so lame," Angie said to her little sister. "Justin Bieber has a girlfriend, and she doesn't have blue eyes. Besides, you don't even know Justin Bieber."

"Yeah, that Gomez chick," Julie said, snapping her finger, trying to think of the girlfriend's full name. "She has dark hair and dark features, just like me."

Then Julie looked at Mary Alice regretfully, to emphasis her point. "Like I said, you're not his type."

Narrowing her eyes at Julie, Mary Alice tried to mask the hurt covering her face. The 10-year-old could not fathom anyone taking her place as Justin's wife.

"Say that one more time," she warned Julie through gritted teeth, "and I'm going to poke you in your eye with a French fry."

"No poking eyes with fries," Stephanie scolded, raising her voice to show she meant business. "All of you eat your lunch and forget about Justin Bieber for a while."

Angie continued to eat her food, glaring at Julie and Mary Alice as if they were an intolerable embarrassment to the family.

Paying no attention to Stephanie's demand, Julie kept her eyes locked on Mary Alice, silently daring her to bring it on. Mary Alice picked up a French fry and tightened her fist around it, clutching the fried potato like a deadly ice pick. And the girls squared off, staring each other down.

"Cut it out!" Stephanie said to the girls, to no avail. Apparently, her parental tone needed a little work.

Julie leaned in close to Mary Alice and opened her eyes wide, offering the pissed off youngster a bird's eye view of her eyeballs. Mary Alice shot Julie a final warning look, aiming the fry toward her eye.

Deciding to end the silly confrontation, Ranger finally looked up from his plate and set his fork on the table.

"Girls, look at me." Ranger carried enough authority in his voice to get their attention. Julie and Mary Alice obediently did as they were told.

Starting with Julie, he said, "Stop instigating a negative reaction from Mary Alice and eat your lunch."

Then he looked at Mary Alice. "Calm down and drop the deadly weapon. Or eat it before it gets cold."

Julie and Mary Alice shared one last fevered glare, and then they turned their attention back to the food on their plates.

"And if I hear Justin Bieber's name one more time," Ranger warned. "I'm going to start a _Justine Beaver wears pink panties _rumor on Twitter."

Mary Alice pulled in a sharp intake of breath. "You wouldn't dare!"

Julie and Angie stared at Ranger in disbelief, not sure if he was joking or serious.

Stephanie almost choked on a shrimp, trying not to laugh at the terror plastered on the girl's faces. Ranger had never even stumbled onto the Twitter website by accident.

"Oh, yes I would," Ranger assured Mary Alice with a straight face. "J.B. will be singing in a traveling circus when I'm done scandalizing his name."

"That would be so cruel," Mary Alice whimpered.

"Well, you've all been warned." Ranger picked up his fork to finish his lunch, lips twitching.

Packing her mouth with crab meat so she wouldn't bust out laughing, Stephanie watched as the girls obediently ate their lunch, too shell shocked to mutter Justin Bieber's name.

The girls were an hour into their second trip through the arcade games before they decided to call a truce, their anger slowly subsiding as the afternoon carousing continued. A jaunt through a music store combined with a little window shopping all but erased the lunchtime quarrel from their minds. And by the time five p.m. rolled around, the girls were all lovey dovey again, sharing cotton candy and dreams of being super models in Hollywood.

When Ranger dropped Mary Alice and Angie off at their front door, Julie hugged both girls goodbye and promised to see them in a few months at the wedding reception. Ranger studied the youngsters with a hint of bewilderment. He wondered how little girls could go from poking each others eyes out to blowing kisses in the wind. They all seemed to share an innate trait that could only be connected to the female species.

The drive back to Hunterdon County was mostly quiet. Julie and Stephanie made small talk, and Ranger had once again found his zone, recovering from the eye twitching ride he'd endured earlier in the day.

"Before I leave tomorrow, can you give me your Twitter account name so I can follow you?" Julie asked Ranger, trying to call his bluff.

Glancing through the rear view mirror, Ranger smiled at his daughter, but didn't say a word. Returning the smile, Julie said, "I should have known you were bluffing. You don't even have a Twitter account, do you?"

"No," Ranger admitted. "I was ready to throw all of you out a window. The Twitter threat seemed like a fair alternative."

"Justin Bieber can be a sensitive subject."

"You do realize how ridiculous both of you were acting, right?" Ranger said. "There's no chance Justin Bieber will marry either one of you."

Nodding her head in agreement, Julie supplied, "But it's nice to dream."

"Dreaming is okay, as long as you keep things in perspective," Stephanie added. "When I was a little girl, I used to dream that I'd be Wonder Woman when I grew up."

Julie giggled from the back seat, and Ranger cut his eyes to Stephanie, lips twitching.

"Babe."

"Give me a break! I wanted super powers so I could to fly."

Pushing out another giggle, Julie said, "Now that's keeping things in perspective."

A few more minutes of comfortable silence passed, and then Julie said, "Maybe I can stay longer next year, if you two don't mind."

"That would be nice," Ranger said, locking eyes with his daughter through the rear view mirror.

In a reassuring voice, Stephanie added, "We were hoping for a couple of weeks every summer."

"That would be awesome," Julie said eagerly.

Ranger made it official. "I'll work out a recurring schedule with your parents, so your visits to Trenton won't conflict with your family's summer vacations."

"I like staying with you," Julie said to her father.

"I like having you around, kiddo."

Stephanie breathed a soft sigh of relief, pleased that her original suggestion had culminated into a positive experience. In her humble opinion, family was as important to life as oxygen was to sustaining it. And Julie was now an official member of the Manoso family.

* * *

><p>Sunday morning ushered in bright sunshine and clear skies, a perfect weather day for Julie's flight back to Miami. Stephanie decided to get up early and prepare a hearty breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and scrambled eggs. Ranger, who'd slipped out of the house before Stephanie awoke, walked into the kitchen as she was mixing pancake batter, and placed a plastic bag on the table.<p>

He eased up behind Stephanie and wrapped his arms around her waist, pushing his hips into her ass. "I could get used to this Betty Crocker attitude, babe. It's sexy."

"Don't get used to it," Stephanie said lightly. "I've done enough cooking to last the rest of the year. You'll be lucky to get dinner two nights a week."

Placing a light kiss on Stephanie's neck, Ranger said, "I appreciate your motherly duties this week. You've gone above and beyond your comfort zone in the kitchen."

Stephanie turned in Ranger's arms and kissed his lips softly. "You don't have to thank me for taking care of Julie. She's as much my responsibility as she is yours. And this experience was a good practice run, right?"

Ranger nodded in agreement. "Yes, the practice has been beneficial. Rachel and Ron have done a good job with Julie. I can only hope our kids will be as well behaved."

"She is a good girl; I see so much of your personality in her."

"And that would be the not so good part, right?"

"Depends on the circumstance," Stephanie said. "She's direct, says what she feels. That will probably work in her favor later on."

"She's definitely not afraid to give her opinion, good or bad."

"What's in the bag?" Stephanie asked, glancing toward the table.

"I bought Julie a cell phone."

Stephanie raised an eyebrow. "Didn't her parents set an age limit for a cell phone?"

"I spoke with Rachel last night while you and Julie were watching the movie. The account is connected to Rangeman, so the expense is on me. Rachel's willing to give it a try, as long as Julie doesn't abuse the privilege."

"That's a nice gesture," Stephanie said, turning on the electric griddle.

"I want my daughter to be able to reach me at anytime, from anywhere."

A satisfied smile spread across Stephanie's face. This was Ranger's way of opening up a line of direct communication with his daughter. The emotional barrier had vanished; Ranger was extending his hand to Julie, letting her know he'd always be there.

Footsteps descending down the stairs announced Julie's arrival. "Good morning," she said, padding into the kitchen, rubbing sleep from her eyes. She was still in her pajamas.

"You're looking a little worn out, kiddo," Ranger said.

"I stayed up too late last night. After the movie, I got on the computer to chat with my friends."

Turkey sausage sizzled on the stove as Stephanie cracked eggs into a bowl. "Do you need help packing?"

"I only have a few more things to pack," Julie said, sitting at the table. "Pancakes?"

"Yep. I'll have breakfast on the table in a bit."

Glancing at the bag on the table, Julie scrunched her nose. "What's in the bag?"

Ranger grabbed the bag and pulled out a box, passing it to Julie. "This belongs to you."

Julie's eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open in surprise. "Are you serious? I can have my own cell phone?"

"Yes, as long as you're responsible with it."

Julie looked up at her father as if she couldn't believe her eyes. "My parents said I couldn't get a cell phone until next year."

"They're willing to give you a trial run," Ranger explained. "So don't mess it up."

Suddenly remembering her parent's financial situation, Julie said, "What about the monthly payments?"

"Don't worry about the monthly bill. That's not your concern. You have 300 minutes per month, so use them wisely. And I've programmed all my numbers into your phone. Call me anytime."

Julie pushed into Ranger, giving him a tight squeeze around his waist. "Thank you so much, Ranger. I won't misuse the phone, I promise."

"Hugging Julie tightly, Ranger leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "I'm going to hold you to that promise. The minutes might increase if you keep your word."

Julie pulled a sleek; razor styled, purple cell phone from the box and plopped down at the kitchen table to inspect all the gadgets that came with it. She appeared to be most impressed with the bedazzled, purple phone cover.

"This is so cool!"

As Stephanie poured pancakes on the griddle, she followed Ranger's eyes as he soaked in the joy radiating from Julie. He watched his daughter through intense eyes, a small smile softening his face. Ranger had smiled a lot this week. In truth, he'd smiled more in one week than he had in a whole month. Julie brought out certain softness in Ranger that Stephanie really liked to see. It was the same tenderness she saw when he'd held her niece in his arms and rocked her to sleep.

Pulling a charger out of the box, Julie looked at Ranger. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

Raising an eyebrow, Ranger pulled out a chair and sat down. Julie's last question and answer session had left him emotionally drained. Nevertheless, he gave his daughter his full attention.

"Are you rich?"

Ranger was quiet for a beat, formulating an answer that Julie would understand. She was going easy on him this time.

"No. I'm not rich. But I do live a comfortable life."

"You have two homes, a business of your own, a lot of cars, and a housekeeper. That's how rich people live."

Looking at Julie through sober eyes, Ranger said, "Everything you've seen has a monthly expense attached to it, kiddo."

Stephanie placed the food on plates and remained quiet as Ranger broke it down for his daughter, at least as much as she could understand.

"But you don't seem to be struggling," Julie pointed out.

Ranger recognized that Julie was comparing his lifestyle to her parent's lifestyle. It was like comparing apples to oranges, but the child was not yet old enough to understand the difference.

"I've had my share of struggles, Julie. Struggling is a normal part of life. There will always be financial ups and downs."

"I don't want to be a financial burden to my parents," Julie said, finally getting to what was really bothering her. Overhearing her parent's conversation about the family finances had thrown the child's world off balance.

"You are not a burden to your parents," Ranger assured Julie. "And I'll always here for you, too. Whatever you need, I will do my best to provide. You know you have the best of both worlds, right?"

Julie nodded apprehensively and smiled. "When you and Stephanie start your own family, will I still be invited to your house?"

"You're part of our family, Julie, my flesh and blood. You'll always have a place in our home."

Stephanie moved Julie's cell phone to a nearby counter and set plates of food on the table. Running a hand over the girl's disheveled hair, she said, "Let's eat. You're plane takes off in a couple of hours."

Feeling a little better about her future, Julie poured syrup over her pancakes and dug in.

Before leaving the house, Ranger had checked Julie in through the airline's Website page. So by time they all arrived at the Newark Liberty International Airport, all Ranger and Stephanie had to do was check Julie's luggage and get her to the security check point where an airline representative was waiting to escort her to the gate.

Gate number in hand, Julie looked up at her father and opened her arms for a hug. Ranger pulled his daughter off her feet, scooping her up into his arms.

"I'll see you in October," Julie said, arms wrapped around her father's neck. Ranger nodded his head and kissed Julie on the cheek, setting her back down on the floor.

Julie gave Stephanie a goodbye kiss and hug. "Thank you for taking good care of me."

Stephanie kissed the girl on her cheek and brushed a stray hair off her face. "I'm glad you enjoyed your stay. We'll see you in a few months."

Ranger and Stephanie waited while Julie shuffled through the security check with her escort, and then waved goodbye as she disappeared into the crowd.

"What's going through your mind?" Stephanie asked Ranger, meeting his gaze.

"Things I can't put into words right now."

"I'm going to miss her, too," Stephanie said, perceptive to what Ranger was thinking. For Ranger, saying the words out loud might bring an unwanted emotion to the surface. He'd had enough of that for one week.

Hooking an arm around Stephanie's neck, pulling her toward an exit sign, Ranger said, "We have the rest of the day to…relax, babe."

"To catch up is what you really mean," Stephanie corrected. "We managed to slip in one night of pleasure while Julie was here."

"And you were distracted the whole time."

"I'll make it up to you, I promise."

Ranger's cell phone vibrated on his hip and he glanced at the caller id screen, his lips spreading into a broad grin.

"Hey, kiddo. You'll have to turn your phone off once you're on the plane."

Deciding to make good use of her new phone while waiting to board her plane, Julie talked to her father non stop as he and Stephanie walked to the car. Listening attentively, Ranger couldn't get a word in edgewise, but he continued to smile.

The End…For Now


End file.
